Chapter 2.7 Raven the Phoenix
It had already been two days and one night since Raven began her search for the Ever Night Horned Beast Steed at the center of the Dark Forest. Yet no matter how far she walked or how long it took, there was still no sign of the creature.
But Raven was not tired. Her steps were steady, her eyes sharp. Each battle only fueled her resolve, each obstacle only hardened her will.
She would not stop until she found the creature and presented it to Silver.
"Well, well, well, who do we have here? Oh, if it isn't the Guardian I disciple, Raven."
The Dark Forest seemed to still at the sound of that melodious voice, the miasma curling like smoke around the figure who stepped into view.
From the shadows emerged Yuka, her white robes glowing faintly against the gloom, her smile sweet but her eyes sharp as blades.
Raven raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a dark smile of her own.
"Well, if this isn't the Guardian III disciple, Yuka."
The two women stood facing each other, the silence between them heavy, charged with unspoken rivalry.
The air itself seemed to hum, as if the forest knew a storm was about to break.
Yuka's gaze flicked over Raven, lingering on the talismans and artifacts Silver had given her. Her smile never wavered, but jealousy burned hot beneath it.
"My, my... you look well‑prepared. I wonder, though, if all those gifts can save you when it truly matters."
"You know what, I won't pretend to be nice to you anymore—I f*ckng hate you."
The smile Yuka always wore vanished as if it had never existed, replaced by a twisted expression full of anger and jealousy.
"I know you hate me."
Raven shrugs, her lips curling into a mocking grin.
"It was always fun watching you force that fake smile whenever you saw me. It made you look pathetic. And now that you've dropped the act, you look even worse."
"How dare you mock me!"
Yuka shouted, her face burning red.
"You're not even worthy of my presence! But only because you are the disciple of the Guardian I I had to bow down to you! Never! It should have been me! I was supposed to be his disciple, not you! I am more worthy than you, you no‑name nobody!"
Raven threw her head back and burst into laughter. Her stomach ached, and tears streamed down her face from laughing too hard.
"Hahaha..."
Raven wiped her eyes, still chuckling.
"You? Worthy? Don't make me laugh. Which part of you is worthy of being Guardian I's disciple? Which part of you is worthy of my Silver?"
Raven's smile vanished, replaced by a sharp, icy glare.
The air around her dropped several degrees, and a crushing pressure fell like a mountain. Yuka's knees buckled, forcing her to the ground, her head pinned low as if the weight of the world pressed down on her.
"Tell this Queen which part of you is worthy."
Raven smiled coldly, her voice cutting like a blade.
"And I'll gladly cut it off for you."
Sweat dripped down Yuka's back like rain. Her face paled as the truth sank in—she was no match for Raven.
Still, she gritted her teeth, refusing to bow.
Perhaps it was her so‑called FL halo, but under the crushing pressure Raven unleashed, she managed to break through just enough to stand, though only barely.
"Haha... is that all you've got?!"
Yuka forced out a laugh as she straightened herself, but her paling face betrayed her struggle.
Raven's lips curved into a chilling smile.
"This isn't all I've got. But I won't kill you just yet. I'll let you run free for now. The next time we meet, though..."
Raven's eyes gleamed coldly.
"I will kill you."
With that, Raven turned and began to walk away, her steps calm and deliberate.
"Coward..." Yuka muttered under her breath.
But in the silence of the Dark Forest, her voice echoed again and again, like a curse she couldn't take back.
Raven paused mid‑step.
Slowly, she turned her head, her face darkening.
A smile spread across her lips, but it was void of warmth. The air grew icy, the temperature plummeting as her gaze locked onto Yuka.
"Can you say that one more time?"
Raven's voice was soft, almost sweet, but her eyes were endless pits of darkness—cold, merciless, and terrifying.
Yuka could not form a word under Raven's gaze.
Those eyes—cold, endless, merciless—made her regret every word she had just spoken. Yet pride chained her tongue; she refused to back down.
Forcing herself, she raised her chin as if to look down on Raven, though deep inside she felt like nothing more than an ant beneath her feet.
"Didn't you h-hear me? I said you're a coward. A COWARD! Want me to spell it for you?"
Yuka smirked, her voice trembling at first but gaining strength as she clawed back a shred of confidence.
Raven said nothing. She stood still, her head lowered, her hair falling forward to hide her face.
Silent.
Unmoving.
Her expression was unreadable.
That silence emboldened Yuka. Mistaking it for weakness, she pressed on, her voice dripping with mockery.
"Why so quiet now? Did my words cut too deep? I know you're afraid. Your attack didn't work on me—I broke through in time and countered it. That's why you wanted to run away, isn't it?"
Yuka giggled, her laughter echoing in the stillness of the Dark Forest, feeding her own delusions.
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
Raven's laughter exploded through the Dark Forest, echoing so loudly that even the other disciples in the distance could hear it. Her shoulders shook as she laughed uncontrollably, the sound rich and beautiful—like music to the ears.
In contrast, Yuka's laughter was always harsh and grating, like a fork scraping against metal.
"What's so funny?!" Yuka snapped, her face twisting in anger.
"Haha... I'm sorry."
Raven heaved between laughs, wiping at her eyes.
"It's just... that's the funniest joke I've ever heard in my entire life! You know, you'd make a great clown—you're too funny."
Raven broke into laughter again, her voice ringing through the trees.
"Yo—"
Yuka started, but before she could finish, Raven's sword flashed. In an instant, Yuka was pinned against a tree ten meters away, the blade biting into the wood beside her.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
Yuka screamed miserably, struggling against the weapon that held her in place.
Raven walked toward her with a calm, almost casual smile.
"See? I'm no coward. I keep my words."
Raven's tone was light, but her eyes glinted with cold certainty as she watched Yuka writhe helplessly against the tree.
"Ahh! Let me go! Let me go! You can't do this to me, you can't kill me! I am Yuka of the Phoenix Clan, the disciple of Guardian III Hisha! My Master won't let you get away if you kill me!"
Yuka shrieked, her voice piercing the forest like a banshee's wail.
"Keep your voice down, you're hurting my ears."
Raven casually dug her pinky into her ear as if Yuka's screams were nothing more than noise.
"For your information, Yuka of the Phoenix Clan, my Master is also a Guardian—Guardian I, in fact. And it's not like I'm killing you now. So if you have even a shred of common sense—which you clearly don't—shut your mouth before I make you."
The threat in her tone was enough to silence Yuka instantly.
"And one more thing, Yuka of the Phoenix Clan," Raven added coldly, her eyes narrowing. "The next time we meet will be the day you return what you owe me."
"Who are you? Who are you really?! Why are you doing this to me?!"
Yuka screamed, her voice cracking as she stared at the woman in red, slowly closing the distance between them.
Fear flickered in her eyes, her body trembling despite her defiance.
Raven leaned close, her breath brushing Yuka's ear.
"It looks like you don't remember me. That makes me so very sad."
Raven's voice dropped to a devilish whisper.
"How could you forget the one you owe everything to? The one who gave you your so‑called success... the one who owns that Heart Jade right here."
Raven's fingers brushed against the spot where the Heart Jade rested, and Yuka's face drained of color.
"Y-You... could you be...?"
Yuka trembled, her voice breaking as she stared at the devil standing before her.
"Surprise, sister—I'm alive."
Raven slowly removed the cloth covering her face.
Even without the scars, even if she had turned to ashes, Yuka would have recognized that face anywhere. It was none other than her third sister, Xuanmi.
Raven's lips curved into a cold smile.
"Isn't this place familiar to you?"
The ground beneath them was the very place where Yuka had abandoned the old Xuanmi, leaving her to die a lonely, helpless death.
"Xuanmi... you're alive?! But how? I clearly left you in this forest that day. You should have died!"
Yuka's face twisted, torn between fear and disbelief.
"But I didn't."
Raven smiled almost gently, her voice low and steady.
"Maybe heaven took pity on me and gave me another chance to live, and to take my revenge. How could your sister die so easily, when I still have unfinished business?"
Rave's hand traced the spot where the Heart Jade should have been, and suddenly she fisted her hand around that spot.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!"
Yuka screamed in pain.
Raven's eyes darkened, satisfied, her smile turning sharp.
"How could I die... when the one who stole my Heart Jade is still alive?"
Yuka gasped in pain, her body trembling as she was finally released. Cold sweat clung to her skin, and her legs threatened to give way beneath her.
Her eyes, wide with both fear and fury, locked onto Raven. Hatred burned in them, but beneath that fire was the unmistakable shadow of dread.
"You... do you think the clan will let you live after they find out you're alive?!" Yuka spat, her voice shrill and desperate, echoing through the dead forest like a curse.
The words hung heavy in the air, a mix of threat and plea, as if Yuka herself wasn't sure whether she was warning Raven—or trying to convince herself.
"If you're talking about that useless clan, then forget it. A mere clan like yours can't stand against me. If they ever dare to bother me in the future, expect that your clan will not remain standing the next day. This isn't a threat—it's a promise. And I always keep my promises."
Raven smirked as she yanked her sword free from Yuka's shoulder, crimson staining the blade. Without another glance, she turned and walked away, her red figure fading into the shadows of the Dark Forest.
Yuka collapsed to her knees, her face pale from blood loss.
Her hands trembled as she pressed against her wound, but her eyes never left Raven's retreating form. That crimson silhouette burned into her vision, searing her pride.
Her lips twisted into a snarl, her voice hoarse yet filled with venom.
"I must kill her... before it's too late!"
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"Wow, so unbelievable!" Gold shouted as he stared at the mirror.
"So they're siblings... but why are they fighting each other?" Jade asked, clearly confused.
"I didn't know your disciple was such a black‑hearted person, Hisha. Her heart is overflowing with anger and jealousy."
Aria also disagreed.
"You should discipline her more—or better yet, replace her. That child, Misha of the White Tiger Clan, would be a good candidate, don't you think? She's more like you, and the two of you might even get along well."
Aria's eyes shifted to Hisha, who had remained silent ever since she saw the darkness in her disciple's heart.
"..." Silver, on the other hand, was also silent, though for a different reason.
Rage burned inside him.
A mere disciple—one not even worthy to carry his Cici's shoes—had dared to hurt her. His first instinct was to teleport there immediately and beat that person black and blue.
But then he forced himself to calm down. He knew his Cici well—she could handle herself. Trusting her strength, he steadied his emotions, remembering her words: it's never good to stress yourself out.
"Cici, please be alright."
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Fun Fact
While Silver was watching through his mirror, Raven, feeling sticky and dirty, casually stripped her clothes off, knowing no one was around.
Silver's face instantly turned bright red.
He watched Raven stripping her robe layer by layer like a striptease, teasing him oh so well. Each layer she removed made his heart pound faster, until only one layer remained.
"Silver, what are you looking at?" Gold suddenly appeared at his side.
Booogggsshhhh!
In the next instant, Gold was sent flying a great distance, crashing through the air like a ragdoll. The other Guardians turned their heads at the commotion, but when they saw Silver's dark expression, they wisely chose not to ask.
Silver let out a long sigh.
Once he was sure no one was watching him, he guiltily closed the mirror, waiting until Raven finished bathing before daring to open it again.
"It's really hard being the Master of a disciple like this," he muttered to himself, rubbing his temples. "Feels like half my lifespan was shaved off just from that one show...