179. Duel (1)
Thus, the clash between Dragon God Bahamut and Phoenix was set.
The two divine beasts glared at each other, slowly gaining altitude as they prepared for battle—when...
"Wait, hold on. Just a moment!"
"Please stop the fight!"
The expedition team, who had been staring in dazed awe at the majestic scene, finally realized the catastrophic aftermath that would follow if these two divine beasts truly fought. Their faces drained of color as they shouted desperately at the pair.
Considering how Phoenix had just obliterated the monsters without mercy or hesitation, what if Bahamut and Phoenix went all out right here? Everyone on the expedition—excluding the contractors, the Saintess and Alicia—would be wiped out just like those monsters moments ago, wouldn't they?
Humanity knew all too well the devastation caused by collisions of such immense power. Now that it was directed at them, they panicked and had no choice but to try stopping the fight.
"If those two clash, what happens to us down here?! The shockwaves alone from that massive power colliding would kill us all! Our lives are on the line!"
It was the most rational statement imaginable. As if to emphasize their lives hung by a thread, the expedition team simply stated the facts in their terrified state. Even those who hadn't fully grasped the situation turned pale and joined in the panic.
Sure, the best show is one from across the river—but this fight would drag them straight into the flames!
They had to stop the divine beasts' battle somehow or at least ensure the expedition wouldn't get caught in the fallout.
"...I see. Indeed, if we fought at full strength, the surrounding area could be laid waste. There's ample chance these lives would be in peril."
"Y-yes... So, no need for a meaningless fight..."
Bahamut nodded in agreement, as if that settled it—no fight, no problem. Phoenix, too, gave a small nod of assent, lending weight to the plea.
If they skipped the clash, there'd be no need for theatrics or exertion. It was the best outcome for two divine beasts who had no desire to collide.
But...
"No. No problem at all. Let's fight just like this."
Phoenix's own contractor, the Saintess, pushed forward as if it were nothing. She acted like collateral damage was irrelevant, prompting the rest of the expedition to freak out and turn pleading eyes toward her contracted divine beast, Phoenix.
"...Saintess. What are you saying?"
Ah, that look. For some reason, it reminds me of my past self.
Phoenix could only shoot the Saintess a resentful glance with an incredulous expression, murmuring softly. Bahamut felt sympathy even as it evoked memories of being dragged around by Choi Yu-na.
Of course, Bahamut—who pitied Phoenix—had also been swept up in the rampages of his own Dragon Priestesses, Yu-na and Baek Seol-hwa. But that was self-inflicted karma, so let's gloss over it.
Compared to the Saintess before them, those two's outbursts were relatively sensible—and ones Bahamut could rein in.
"We can fight in that uninhabited airspace over there—no problem! We can just watch their duel via drone!"
This wench. She picked this spot on purpose to provoke a fight!
After all, the Saintess had planned this expedition on her own whim from the start. Naturally, she'd prepared a battlefield for the clash, pointing out the nearby uninhabited zone and insisting they fight there.
At that distance, it might be hard to see with the naked eye, but drones could relay the action perfectly, right?
"That... makes sense!"
"Indeed. Even the Orleans Saintess doesn't make unreasonable demands."
"This'll be good."
Her plausible argument swiftly undermined the danger concerns. Everyone now eagerly anticipated the Bahamut-Phoenix showdown.
Like spectators thrilled by a fire across the river, they knew this legendary clash of mythical beings was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle worth paying for.
The entire expedition buzzed with excitement, eyes fixed on Bahamut and Phoenix. For Phoenix, that gaze felt like...
"Uh. Uh. Uh."
Look at her. She's on the verge of tears. She just wants to go home.
Stunned speechless by the Saintess's insistence, Phoenix stammered without rebuttal, feeling the crowd's stares. Even Bahamut, watching, couldn't help pitying her. Phoenix glanced around with teary eyes, then...
"F-fine, whatever!"
Don't push yourself! We can all see you're forcing it!
It was a resigned acceptance of the Saintess's proposal. Bahamut could tell Phoenix was straining. The irony of Bahamut—soon to face her—worrying about Phoenix's mental state nearly drew a wry chuckle, but Phoenix flew off toward the distant sky, signaling Bahamut to follow, determined to honor her word. Bahamut trailed after with a bitter expression.
"How did it come to this?!"
Upon reaching the uninhabited zone the Saintess had indicated, Phoenix let out a lament that was more wail than complaint, making it clear this wasn't what she wanted. Bahamut sighed and spoke.
"I concur. Reduced to being dragged around by a contractor who's the 'eul' rather than the 'gap'."
"B-Bahamut...!"
To Bahamut, Phoenix—who should be the dominant 'gap'—seemed utterly under the Saintess's thumb as the submissive 'eul'.
Bahamut felt that way about his own Dragon Priestesses at times, but he firmly held his 'gap' position. They respected it, always consulting him carefully when borrowing his power and valuing his input.
"You've been played for a sucker."
"S-sucker!? B-but... I can't deny it...!"
Yet Phoenix here felt like the 'eul' to the Saintess's 'gap'. This sudden duel heavily reflected the Saintess's will, sidelining Phoenix's entirely.
"B-Bahamut! Please, tell me how to escape being a sucker!"
No clue here. Hell, I'd love to learn myself!
Bahamut wasn't cocky enough to lecture. His will dominated when he stepped up, but otherwise, the Dragon Priestesses called the shots. With his own sucker tendencies, he ended up doing extra unpaid labor beyond the contract.
Still, the Balhut Cult treated him with utmost respect and ceremony—fair trade, right? National leaders overflowed with honors but got exploited on workload versus pay anyway!
"More importantly, we won't have much time for casual chat like this. Look around."
The brief banter ended as gazes began converging on them. Filming drones appeared one by one, capturing Bahamut and Phoenix now that they'd delayed the clash with glares instead of immediate combat.
No more private talk in this atmosphere.
"Drones are already crowding to watch our fight. We can't bare our true feelings fully this time..."
Even if they couldn't now...
"But if we meet again, let's chat with smiles over a peaceful meal."
He suggested a future encounter. Phoenix's reaction?
"Th-that. Th-that. That's a d-d-date!? A hopeless Phoenix like me getting that...?"
No self-esteem! Craving validation. Affection-starved, huh.
It was dangerously off-track. Interpreting Bahamut's casual well-wish as a date, Phoenix spiraled. Bahamut couldn't hide his dismay at her earnest uptake, realizing her longing for affection.
Not now, though.
With drones swarming thicker, chit-chat was over.
"Then. Shall we?"
"Let's."
Finally, the divine beasts collided.
"Light opener."
"I'll evade."
It revealed why Dragon Priestesses were called the ultimate war machines in handling Bahamut. No weapon of war could intervene in their ferocity.
Bahamut deployed countless magic circles in the sky, unleashing a barrage to seize air superiority. Phoenix darted like a supersonic jet, elegantly weaving through while scattering feathers infused with heat and mana—each exploding on contact, obliterating everything in its zone.
To untrained eyes, Phoenix impossibly wrested control from Bahamut at unseen speeds. He countered, matching her velocity in pursuit.
"Hmph!"
With a grunt, Bahamut reclaimed the skies mid-flight, unfolding myriad magic circles. Water, fire, wind, ice, lightning, and more attributes bloomed around Phoenix in real-time, hindering her.
To them, a casual greeting—like a board game's first move.
"Insane."
To the Europeans watching via drone feed? Utter madness.
A light warm-up to them defied human norms. Humanity could replicate it technologically, but bare-handed? Or with a finger snap, no cost? Impossible—even for top awakeners born of the apocalypse.
Yet these divine beasts shattered common sense at breakneck pace.
"This shows why the Dragon Priestess herself is the strongest war engine."
"So the videos only showed a fraction of their power."
Witnessing the norm-breaking duel, they grasped the rumors: why Dragon Priestesses were ultimate weapons. Imagine summoning such a being with one spell. Could human arms counter it?
"So fast, reactions lightning-quick. Tough as hell. How to hit that?"
"Nuke? But would thermobaric even work?"
"Hitting something moving that fast precisely?"
"With AI...?"
Humanity's pinnacle tech might scratch them—and that'd be lucky. Most terrifying: their massive bulks fighting at near-supersonic speeds, reacting to and countering every incoming spell and strike. Absurd.
Even if weapons pierced them, evasion rendered it moot. Hits matter; misses are worthless.
"The apocalypse is upending our civilization."
"Next years—decades—belong to awakeners!"
The pre-apocalypse era was dead. The apocalypse itself was now an age. Many intellectuals on the expedition confronted the truth they'd inwardly denied.
Just one year. Everything changed. Too soon to accept—but undeniable.