Genshin Impact: The Road to Reversal

Chapter 603 The Non-existent Promise

Phoenix flew over numerous obstacles to the ice cliff. There were no giant beasts guarding it, no fortifications, and not even many footprints. Anyone would have thought it was just an ordinary rock face.

She hovered in mid-air, gently spinning her two swords in her palms.

"It's well hidden."

She raised her hand, the tip of her sword pressed against the surface of the ice rock.

However, before it could exert its power, millions of massive objects swarmed in.

Seeing this, she smiled gently and flipped herself backward.

The giant beasts missed their target, crashing into each other and shattering the mountain to reveal its core.

"No! Stop her!" Itte shouted.

But it was too late.

Using the momentum, she stepped onto the head of the nearest giant beast, her toes barely touching the ground as she rose higher. As her two swords clashed, the icy blue light condensed between the blades into a slender yet sharp arc of light.

"That's it!"

The moment the sword fell, It's roar and the howl of the horde of giant beasts exploded at the same time.

However, everything has now settled.

The moment the Frost Soul Sword pierced the core, a crisp cracking sound like an ice river breaking apart. The crystal, pulsating with an ominous, eerie light, developed countless cracks on its surface, and the next moment, it shattered with a deafening roar.

The movements of the horde of giant beasts all froze.

Those hideous, writhing, and endlessly proliferating bodies froze into ice sculptures in the same instant. The next moment, starting from their toes, they disintegrated into countless ice crystals, merging with the wind and snow.

The snow-covered plains returned to silence.

At that moment, Itte knelt on the ground, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"how so……"

"Is it over?" Peruvieri, who had finally recovered, slowly got up.

Phoenix sheathed her sword and returned to her original spot. At this moment, she pointed her sword at It and the Phantom, her phoenix robe fluttering in the wind and snow.

"Now it's your turn."

Just as the Phoenix Cry Sword was about to strike, several beams of dark moonlight suddenly descended from the sky, instantly disrupting her rhythm.

"Teacher!" Peruvieri said anxiously, trying to step forward but was stopped by Phoenix.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Her smile was replaced by seriousness. At that moment, a man wearing a thin black cloak and an eagle-beak mask descended from the sky and stood in front of Itte and Phantom.

"I'm sorry, Miss Xuefeng, but I can't let you kill them like this," the man said with a wicked smile.

Upon seeing the other person's face, Peruvieri was immediately stunned: "Eagle-faced mask...you're Nighthawk?"

Nighthawk did not answer, but simply turned his head slightly, his gaze behind the mask passing over Phoenix and landing on Peruvier behind her.

"Red Moon Knight, I've long admired you. To single-handedly hold off five members of the Fallen God Guild and even force the Doctor to use his most treasured creation. This achievement is worthy of being recorded in the annals of glacier history." He said with a contemptuous smile.

Peruvieri ignored his flattery, gripping her twin swords tightly, the crimson light re-condensing on the blades. Despite being utterly exhausted, she would never show weakness before her enemy.

"Why are you only arriving now?" Ite stood up and said with displeasure.

"Ha, isn't this an admiration of your masterpiece? It's just a pity that you still lost in the end," he said with a smile, spreading his hands.

“You!” Itte’s face turned ashen.

At that moment, Phoenix frowned slightly: "So, you also want to fight me?"

"Fight? No, no, no, I'm not crazy enough to be an enemy of the Three Saints of the Glacier," Night Hawk said, waving his hand.

“But by rescuing this guy, you’ve already made an enemy of the Glacier,” Phoenix said. “Or do you think you can get away unscathed from me?”

Night Hawk smiled slightly: "Who says otherwise?"

A cold wind swept by, and the snowstorm suddenly stopped.

A series of ripples spread across Phoenix's body, and the Phoenix Cry Frost Soul Sword trembled slightly, emitting a clear and melodious sound. She didn't speak again, but simply looked up, her gaze eerily calm.

"If you can do it, give it a try!" She stepped forward.

At the same time, Nighthawk neither flashed nor closed its shutters, but simply snapped its fingers.

The next second, time seemed to stand still, and a black moon rose. The surrounding environment instantly transformed into a hellish landscape.

The snow-capped mountains were ablaze with raging fire, all things were extinguished, and a fire troll flew in the sky, looking down on all living beings.

Phoenix was taken aback for a moment, then frowned and brandished his twin swords, shattering Zhou Shen's illusion.

She returned to the snowfield, but by then Night Hawk and the other members of the Fallen Gods' Guild had already disappeared, leaving only a needle-like crack that was quickly stitched back together.

"Tch, so he still got away?" Phoenix's nerves were on edge, then he sighed and looked up at the sky. "But... that black moon, and the power of the contract originating from the Holy Venerable... I see. After being tormented by a thousand years of wishes, has he fallen too?"

Then, as soon as she finished speaking, her body began to glow with a faint light and started to become transparent.

“Teacher! What are you doing…” Peruvieri’s pupils dilated slightly. She wanted to move forward, but her legs felt heavy, and she knelt down on one knee again.

At that moment, Phoenix looked at his gradually dissipating body and shook his head.

“It seems your power is exhausted, but it doesn’t matter, after all, I’ve fulfilled a wish.” With that, she turned and walked toward Peruvieri. “Long time no see, Arecino. Although there is a 200-year difference, for someone who has traveled back in time, it should only have been a week since we last met.”

“I am very pleased that my student is such an excellent paladin. You have grown faster and better than I imagined.”

Peruvier opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Countless words welled up in her throat, but got stuck there, turning into a burning, bitter taste.

Phoenix knelt down in front of her and gently brushed the snowflakes from her cheek, his touch as tender as it had been years ago. The sensation was so real, yet so surreal.

"Don't cry, Arecino," she whispered. "I have never regretted my choice back then. To protect what should be protected and to accomplish what should be accomplished—this is the destiny of a paladin, and it is also my pride."

As she spoke, she stood up: "I'll say it again, there's no need to be sad about my departure. Even if my physical form dissipates, my soul will still be watching over you and everyone here in the cold sky. So please don't be sad for me anymore, okay?"

With a sob in her voice, Peruvieri slowly stood up: "Okay, I promise. So, teacher, can we see each other again?"

Phoenix chuckled softly: "Who knows? Although my soul is in the cold, my origin is here. If this child hadn't come to the glacier, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to see you through her body."

Suddenly, she paused slightly, then put her hands on her hips and smiled again: "What? I thought you weren't coming."

As she finished speaking, she turned around and saw that Rek'os had appeared there at some point.

"It's been a long time, Hyotei-sama."

"Yes, it's been a long time, Phoenix. Although the last time we met was in the Abyss, this is the first time in reality."

Phoenix nodded slightly, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes: "Yes, that time in the Abyss was just a fleeting glimpse through Funina's consciousness. This is truly the first time in two hundred years that we've actually 'met' like this."

Rek'os did not approach, but stood still, his eyes fixed on the gradually transparent figure, his expression complex.

"You... are still the same as before." He spoke slowly, his voice low.

“You too, you still don’t smile much.” Phoenix smiled wryly. “You’re supposed to be a guardian of the land, but you always have a stern face. It makes your subordinates nervous.”

Rek's lips twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just let out a soft hum.

"I told you not to keep such a long face. With your abilities, seeing me is a piece of cake, isn't it? Just find a place and pull my soul out, let me appear briefly." Phoenix smiled. "Oh, but please don't target this child. After all, I promised her that this appearance would only happen once. From now on, please don't look at her the way you look at me. At the same time, I sincerely hope that today's incident can be considered as if it never happened, okay?"

After hearing this, Rek'os sighed angrily: "Fine, I promise you."

Phoenix nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Peruvieri with a gentle look in his eyes: "Arechino, take care of yourself, and also take good care of Clementine for me. You are both my proudest students."

Peruvier nodded vigorously, tears finally streaming down her face.

Phoenix's figure began to dissipate rapidly, like melting ice and snow, turning into starlight and merging into the wind and snow.

“Thank you, Funina,” she murmured softly at the very end, “for letting me… see them one more time.”

As the starlight faded completely, Funina returned to her original state and collapsed. Rek'os reacted quickly and caught her in time.

The snowfield returned to silence, with only the mournful sound of the wind remaining.

Peruvier knelt in the snow, gazing at the empty sky, and remained there for a long time.

(Contract Quest: Ice City, Act III, Complete.)