The Strange Cat from Fuuto

"However, the longer it drags on, the better for me!" The phoenix, noticing the changes in its body, rubbed the soil beneath its right foot.

As the phoenix pondered, Miku suddenly swung his Starlight Scepter forward. The phoenix felt as if it had been hit head-on by a train, powerless to resist, and flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

"So it possesses this kind of power!"

With delighted surprise, Miku stared at the scepter in his hand, his eyes shining, "Then let's press our advantage!"

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Miku's body vanished from its spot and reappeared in front of the Phoenix.

"Is this teleportation?!"

As Miku grew increasingly certain of his earlier guess, he didn't hesitate. He pressed down with his scepter, and the phoenix, lying on its back on the ground, hadn't even gotten up yet. It watched helplessly as the scepter pressed down, and it felt as if a mountain had been placed on its body, causing it to sink deep into the soil.

"What kind of power is this?!"

The phoenix, his eyes wide open, felt his blood churning in his chest. Not only was he unable to move, but the other party's relaxed attitude was making him furious.

Don't underestimate me!

The phoenix, its body radiating powerful magical energy, had made up its mind that even if it had to remain silent in the darkness of death for a while longer, it would not tolerate this bird's wrath!

"Oh, you still have some capacity left!"

Miku, his eyes lowered, spoke softly, pointing his scepter at the phoenix. The phoenix seemed to be grasped by an invisible hand, and floated into the air.

Have you ever played with a yo-yo?

With ill intent, Miku swung his scepter into the air, and the phoenix's body followed suit, soaring into the sky.

The phoenix's hands were tightly bound to its sides by an invisible force, and its legs were clamped together. Apart from its eyeballs, it could not move any other part of its body.

"First, the serve!"

The phoenix, which moved along with Miku's scepter, was thrown into the air in a rather frustrating manner. Then Miku chuckled and said, "Watch my world-encircling technique!"

As if its body was being pulled by a rope, the phoenix was tossed around in mid-air by Miku, spinning like a windmill.

"The windmill turns with a creaking sound, and the scenery here is truly beautiful!"

Miku, humming a strange nursery rhyme, opened his palm, the scepter spinning continuously in his hand.

"asshole!"

The phoenix, so frustrated it was about to vomit blood, saw the world spinning rapidly. Then, amidst the dizzying sensation, a mouthful of scalding blood spurted from its mouth.

This guy was so angry with Miku that he almost vomited blood, while Miku, who was clearly having a blast, completely forgot that he was supposed to give it his all.

"Woof?"

Iggy, who looked like a giant wolf, came closer and tilted his head to look at the phoenix that was spinning around and making a creaking sound.

"Next up is walking the dog!"

Clutching the scepter, the phoenix stopped, letting out a long breath with blood still at the corner of its mouth: "It's finally over!"

"It's over?" Miku asked excitedly, his tone laced with deep malice. "No, it's only just begun!"

"laugh!"

After the phoenix, which was hurtling straight down, glided forward along the ground for a distance, the earthy smell hit his nostrils.

For the first time, Miku felt an intense hatred for his own heightened senses. The phoenix's body was pulled back by Miku, still close to the ground.

After pressing the phoenix to the ground and grinding it hard for a while, Miku raised his scepter, and the phoenix stood up as well.

"Iggy, let's play!"

When Miku spoke, the Phoenix's feathers stood on end, if they were in its monster form.

"This guy wouldn't...."

Just as he expected, he was treated like a dog toy by Miku.

The phoenix, which had been flying straight away, was caught by Iggy, who had been rubbing his hands together for a while, and then snatched back.

"asshole!"

The phoenix, cursing incessantly, felt the sticky saliva on its body and found it utterly disgusting.

Komiku, of course, didn't care about his thoughts. An invisible force was applied to his body, and he was thrown out like a dog toy.

Excitedly digging at the ground, Iggy howled and chased after it, opening its blood-red maw and biting the phoenix before it even landed.

The enormous fangs, like daggers, pierced deeply into the phoenix's body. Overwhelmed by pain and emotions, the phoenix erupted like a volcano.

"enough!"

With a roar, the phoenix surged with magical power, and Iggy felt as if he were holding molten lava in his mouth, burning hot.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."

Iggy, who had been hastily agreeing, let out a miserable howl and quickly slipped back to Miku's side.

"Wow, it's actually unleashed its full power!" Miku exclaimed in surprise upon noticing the volcanic burst of magical energy emanating from the phoenix, but he didn't take it too seriously.

Having roughly grasped the power of Regulus Mode, Miku no longer took the Phoenix seriously.

This silly bird's outburst at this moment is clearly the last light and heat of the embers. After it has completely erupted, it will be extinguished completely after a period of time.

I could kill him before that happens, or wait for his outburst to subside, and then he'd become a lamb to the slaughter!

Chapter 64: The Phoenix Pulled into Another Dimension by Iggy

"Roar!"

The phoenix, roaring from its mouth, was wreathed in viscous flames like magma, and the ground beneath its feet had been reduced to scorched earth.

"Looks like this guy's really going all out!" Miku said mockingly, toying with the scepter in his hand. "Just how much does he hate me?!"

"Kitty!!!"

The phoenix, roaring furiously, hurtled towards Miku like a meteor, leaving a faint trail of flames behind it.

"That's interesting!"

Miku spun the Star Scepter around in his hand, then gripped it and aimed it at the phoenix that was now within arm's reach.

"But words still don't mean much to me."

A violent, boundless, invisible force formed a wall, standing between him and the phoenix.

"Boom!"

Like the dull thud of a car hitting a wall, ripples spread through the air. The phoenix, transformed into a shooting star, was blocked less than a foot in front of Miku. No matter how hard he tried, that distance seemed as insurmountable as the ends of the earth.

"Open it!!!"

With a muffled roar, the phoenix unleashed its remaining power once more, and suddenly, fine cracks appeared in the air.

"Crackling..."

The sound, like shattering glass, was incessant for a time.

"It broke!"

Seeing the invisible wall he had set up crumble, Miku narrowed his eyes slightly. In the next second, the wall shattered, and the impact spread in all directions.

"Die!"

The phoenix roared as it slashed down with its broadsword, but Miku calmly slammed his scepter down, kicking up dust as he vanished before the phoenix's eyes.

"what?"

Startled, the phoenix lost all control of itself and, like a meteor falling to earth, plowed a trench a meter wide in the ground with unstoppable force.

"boom!"

The deafening roar that erupted in the forest drew the attention of Xiaotao, who was standing in front of the ruins of the mansion. Clenching her fists, Xiaotao muttered to herself, "Is this what their battle was like?"

Inside the forest, Miku, who had teleported away just as the phoenix was about to strike, appeared on the trunk of a large tree. Half-crouched on the trunk, Miku looked at the dust-filled woodland and couldn't help but click his tongue: "This really hates me!"

This attack directly altered the terrain of that forest, as the flames ignited by the magic power emanating from the phoenix began to engulf everything around it.

A blurry figure kneeling on the ground appeared and disappeared in the smoke and dust.

"It's time to end this!"

Miku, who jumped down from the tree trunk, took off the ring from the long chain around his waist and, as he slowly approached the phoenix, put it on the middle finger of his right hand.

The motionless phoenix's fiery red color had faded, and its eyes, which were like molten lava, had completely lost their luster.

The phoenix, its body emitting wisps of white smoke, seemed to be clinging to life with only its last breath.

"It's time to send you to where you belong, Phoenix!"

With a cold voice, Miku turned the wheel at his waist. As the wheel shifted, Miku slowly placed his right hand on his waist.

"call!"

Suddenly, a violent pillar of fire erupted from the ground, engulfing Miku within it. The phoenix, which had been exuding an aura of death, rolled its eyes.

"Finally, I... have found an opportunity!"

The phoenix, kneeling on the ground, stared at Miku's figure in the pillar of fire, its eyes flashing with cruel light.

"You're going to die right here today, kitty!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you have your way!" Miku's calm voice came from behind the Phoenix, and he pressed the Star Scepter onto the Phoenix's shoulder.

"boom!"

The phoenix, its body deeply embedded in the ground, roared in disbelief, "Impossible! You should have been devoured by my hellfire!"

"Yes, that's true, but the one you burned was just a clone I had prepared beforehand!" Miku raised his left hand, a hint of relief in his voice. "Luckily, I have the ability to create clones, otherwise I would have really fallen into your hands!"

Just as Miku teleported to a different location, he activated the Regulus Mode clone ability, which allowed him to create a clone that was identical to himself. However, the clone was merely an illusion and had no power whatsoever.

The maximum number of clones that can be created is three.

"You won this time, but I won't lose next time!" The phoenix, its head buried deep in the mud, roared.

"I'm afraid there won't be a next time. This time, I will send you away from this world forever!"

Miku quickly slipped the Regulus accessory ring onto his hand and placed his hand on his waist. The incantation of magic began: "Collapse Start!"