Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

Sora watched, breathless, as Netsu’s power rose, flames around him raging with intensity. All the fire elements within the battlefield were drawn to him, before he released it in the form of flames, the temperature rising to an almost unbearable level.

’He’s using that skill… To think he’d go this far less than two weeks after being born. Hiyoko really has it easy,’ Sora thought, feeling a pang of pain at seeing his familiar push himself so hard just to win.

Nearby, the Azure Dragon, still resting, was taken aback as a stray flame licked its scales, instantly melting through. The dragon tried to extinguish the flames with its abilities, but they spread rapidly, consuming half of its body before finally burning out, leaving the creature heavily injured. Staring in fear at Netsu, who was almost frozen in time yet exuded such overwhelming power, the dragon instinctively floated backward, desperate to distance itself from his opponent.

Not far from him, the Time Dragon struggled visibly, its scales trembling as he pushed every ounce of his power to hold Netsu in this near-frozen-state.

But Netsu’s indomitable will and rising power seemed to be pushing the [Time Dragon] to its limits. Exhausted, the dragon threw a desperate look at the [Blood Nine-Tailed Fox], silently commanding her to end the fight.

The fox responded instantly, her tails glowing as she gathered blood into deadly, sharpened points, all aimed at Netsu’s heart. Yet, the closer she moved, the more unbearable the heat became. She gritted her teeth, struggling to maintain her control over the blood spears as they began to evaporate near his chest.

Frustration appeared in the fox’s narrowed eyes, but she refused to give up. Changing tactics, rather than attacking his heart, where the heat was most intense, with blood, she aimed her more resistant paws at him.

With precise strikes, she sliced through his defenses, managing to sever his remaining right wing. The severed wing fell, freed from the time shackles effects, and her face twisted in pain as her paws burned from the contact.

Every strike the fox landed came at a cost. With a pained expression, she retreated, her tails glowing red as she attempted to stop the flames and heal herself, but nothing could stop the spread of these golden flames. Desperation appeared on her face as the fire spread from her paw, forcing her to sever one of her front legs to halt its advance toward her chest.

Sora watched, in amazement, as Netsu, who had previously been unable to respond, slowly began moving. He struggled, flying towards his opponents, his gaze locked on them, tracking their every movement with newfound clarity.

Then, all of sudden, the flames surrounding him reversed course, flying back toward him in a blaze, reabsorbed at an astonishing rate.

Despair had vanished from the phoenix face, replaced by a calm expression. Combined with the flames rushing to him, it sent shivers down his opponents’ spines.

The Time Dragon, struggling to keep Netsu frozen, was clearly reaching his limit—blood trickled from his ears, nose, and mouth, and his eyes had turned blood-red.

His body was shaking, unable to fully contain the phoenix who resisted his control. Desperately, he gave one last push to slow him down, his gaze moving back and forth between his fox ally and this domineering phoenix.

The fox froze for a split second, disturbed by Netsu’s powerful will. She knew she couldn’t afford to falter, but she felt intimidated.

With one last burst of courage, she managed to prepare for a final attack, knowing that if she failed, the phoenix’s victory would be inevitable.

As the heat dissipated, allowing her to breathe again, she pushed every bit of her strength into her tails, gathering every drop of blood left in her body. Condensing it into a single spear of blood. Raising it high, she prepared herself for one final blow.

Her control over her blood weakening with distance, she flew at the slowed figure in front of her, aiming directly for one open eye, hoping she could pierce his head to end the battle.

As she closed in, he seemed to grow brighter, his body radiating with an intensity like a miniature sun. Her instincts screamed of imminent danger, but she forced herself to push forward, her blood spear slicing cleanly through the air without the usual resistance from his flames, heading straight for his eye.

The spear made contact, piercing through his eye. A surge of satisfaction hit her, feeling victory within reach. But her triumph was short-lived. Just as she was about to smile, an overwhelming force struck her with brutal impact.

-------------------

Sora’s mouth hung open as he took in the scene before him.

Every last trace of fire element had vanished, drawn into his familiar’s body. Even the flames in the environment had been devoured, leaving parts of the battlefield eerily frozen where heat had given way to chilling cold.

He watched as the blood spear approached Netsu’s eye, but his familiar’s body shone so brightly, it was like staring into the heart of a sun. The light grew too intense, blinding him from seeing the moment of impact.

Then, a tremendous sound rocked the air. The explosion’s roar reached him seconds later, deafening in its force.

"He actually self-destructed..." Sora whispered in awe before thinking ’Even with my [Prestige], I still fear death. But this guy... he creates a supernova in his first serious fight."

[Supernova (Legendary)]

[Description: Sacrifice all remaining mana, body, and life force to trigger an explosion, unleashing the destructive force of a dying star. Obliterates everything within range, but results in the user’s death.]

Sora’s mind was conflicted as he recalled the skill. Its power was undeniable, capable of turning the tide in even the most desperate battles. But the price... The price was too high.

As the blinding light began to fade, the battlefield came back into view. The forms of the [Azure Dragon], [Time Dragon], and [Blood Nine-Tailed Fox] were nowhere to be seen.

On the ground, however, lay a scorched body, its limbs charred and barely recognizable. Sora’s heart clenched as he took in what remained of his familiar. Barely anything of Netsu’s once-proud form was left.

"Did we win? Why is there no notification?" Brodus asked, clearly confused by the system’s silence.

"Maybe we did? The Phoenix erased them from the battlefield; that should count for something. But maybe it died before the explosion killed the others? Who knows how it works when everyone dies on the field..." Melinda speculated, her frustration evident as she tried to convince herself of their victory.

"Who says everyone died?" Sora’s voice was sharp. "Your familiars are the only ones that died." He cast a hard look at his teammates, his displeasure clear. Their lackluster performance had forced his familiar into a corner, leading to that desperate move.

’I guess there’s one more cheater on the team now.’ Sora thought, aware of what was happening.

Confused, his teammates looked at him, expecting clarification. Without a word, Sora raised a hand and pointed at the sky above his familiar’s scorched body.

As they looked on, the mana in the air began to tremble, as if responding to some invisible call. It drifted towards Netsu’s remains. The mana grew denser, flowed faster, pulled in like a whirlpool, then began to seep into his body parts, traveling through each remaining feather, fragment of bone, and shred of flesh.

Absorbing something buried in the remains, the mana transformed, turning into a burning fire. This fire was unique, forming a molten substance that pulsed, almost alive. It spread, devouring the remnants of the Phoenix.

As the last remnants of the body were devoured by the blazing mana, the fire pool trembled, a shape began to form, small and delicate at first. Slowly, a wing broke through the surface of the fire, followed by another—tiny, but alive.

A small head emerged, its beak glowing, eyes closed tightly. The small phoenix, now fully visible, stretched its wings, and began absorbing the remaining flames around him, drawing the fire liquid into his body. The fire fed him, invigorating his tiny frame, helping his feathers regain their brilliance as he grew rapidly, gaining in size, quickly reaching half of his former stature.

Part of his strength visibly returned, the once-fragile phoenix now standing proudly. His transformation complete, he turned to his master. Noticing the radiant smile on his master’s face, he flew toward him, satisfied.

Sora sent him a message ’Congratulations on your victory. You really are the best familiar in this tower. Go rest in the Beast Space for now, we’ll talk later.’

Nodding, Netsu accepted his master words and disappeared from his position.

[Your team won the Tie-Breaker match: +10,000 Ascension Points]

[Fourth Trial: [Battle of Familiars] has ended]

[Your team has ranked 1/400 in the trial. ]

[Total individual points accumulated: 129,500 Ascension Points]

As soon as his body started dissolving, he heard a series of notifications, including three he did not expect.