Viktor could see both the Void Ring and Taya's falling figure in his eyes. Despite not having his powers, his mind was honed over the centuries to make decisions in a fraction of a second.
But there was only enough time to catch one of them. He didn't even have to think much to know that catching the Void Ring was easier and a sure thing.
However, catching Taya would not only result in losing the Void Ring, but he may not even be able to successfully catch her in his injured state.
Still, he didn't even hesitate for a second as he dashed towards the place where Taya was falling to catch her.
But to his horror,
*Thk!*
"Ungh!"
The sound of Taya's head getting struck against a tall rock near the leg of the statue echoed subtly. But this subtle echo made Viktor's heart shudder as his eyes shook.
Her head struck the rock after she fell by just over a meter, but he knew it was a dangerous blow to her head and saw her body freefall for over thirty meters.
Any ordinary human would never be able to save someone freefalling from such a height unless…they used their own body to cushion the fall, which would also kill them as well. It would be no different than getting hit by a speeding car.
However, it was a no-brainer for Viktor as he was prepared to let himself die to save her and direct her impact in such a way that she wouldn't suffer any serious injuries.
It barely took 3 seconds for her to get caught by Viktor.
But Viktor grimaced as the impact of her fall sent him crashing to the ground, breaking multiple bones, mainly in his upper body, though he still managed to safely roll her body to the side and let her rest on the floor.
Umilia's eyes shook upon seeing two of the people she loved in such a state, especially Taya, who wasn't even conscious. She was about to rush towards them with a frantic look when Death Queen stood in front of her, "Not so fast. If this is their time, I can't let you interfere."
"Move out of my way," Umilia said in a cold tone as she grabbed Death Queen's arm to throw her to the side.
But Death Queen retaliated, and the two began to engage in a fist fight, much to Umilia's annoyance and worry. She knew Viktor would come back even if he died, but it was a different case for Taya. She didn't even want to imagine the worst when thinking about her condition.
"Bastards!" Aelita was also infuriated seeing what happened to Taya and tried to pull herself up to go over towards Taya, but Yavet and his followers surrounded her, making her stare at them all with a vengeful face, "All of your souls will rot in the black river…" She cursed as Yavet scoffed, "No point in struggling anymore, sister. We won," Saying so, he looked up and saw Dark Phoenix sliding the Void Ring onto his finger. She threw the ring towards him right after it fell.
"Finally…the bane of odic force on my finger…" Dark Phoenix mumbled as he looked at the Void Ring shining with a dark purple light upon putting it on his finger.
The moment he put it on, a wave of dark purple light spread over his body, making him let out a sigh of exhilaration, "Haaa…My flames…I can use it…" He mumbled in disbelief as he snapped his fingers together to produce a burst of dark silver flames, much to the shock of Yavet, Aelita, Umilia, and the others.
Umilia wasn't able to use any odic force, and yet Dark Phoenix was able to use his powers after putting on the Void Ring.
Aelita was shaken since this meant that Dark Phoenix could use his powers while suppressing others. If this happens, not even the Mage Society of Earth would be able to stand against him. With the Void Ring putting everyone else nearby in suppression, which could take him on?
Yavet stepped forward and raised his hands, "You have got what you wanted, Lord Phoenix. Now it's your turn to honor our deal by getting me the Divine Voidbringer swords. Since you now have the Void Ring, you would be able to use it to find where those swords rest."
Dark Phoenix caressed the ring as he said, "The Divine Voidbringer? Hmm…The divine swords used by the Nameless Knight himself which also is rumored to contain the inscription of the final stage of the Void Arts. The one who masters it will be able to become the overlord of the odic realm."
Yavet eagerly looked on as Dark Phoenix's words were exactly the reason he wanted it. He would have stolen the Void Ring himself if not for having enough strength to overpower his father and his people. This was why he had to seek outside help and use them to get what he wanted. It was not like they were Void Force users to get any benefits by getting the Divine Voidbringer. So he was sure they would give it to him.
However, Dark Phoenix tilted his head as he looked at Yavet and added, "But too bad…It is all gone. The Divine Voidbringer was destroyed, and the Void Ring isn't telling me anything related to it. Anyway…we appreciate the services you have provided. Unfortunately, your service is no longer necessary."
"What?!" Yavet's expression fell, but before he could even shout or react, a wave of dark silver flames struck him and disintegrated him instantly. His five followers were terrified and stumbled back before falling to the ground.
"Brother!" Aelita cried out as Yavet was still her only brother, and seeing him die just like that after getting betrayed by the ones he sought help from, shook her.
Chief Tamo's chin quivered as he closed his eyes, and tears trickled down his eyes. Even if he was angry and disappointed in his son, he never stopped loving him. But he wasn't surprised since he knew it would end like this. This was why he tried to stop his son but failed.
Viktor stirred awake, and his eyes trembled as he realized that he wasn't resurrected since he didn't die in the first place. His body somehow managed to survive the impact, but all the broken bones and internal injuries made it hard for him to even get up.
His first thought was checking up on Taya and turning his head towards the side, only to mumble in a voice filled with tremors, "Taya…" Viktor's expression became pained when he saw Taya's body lying beside him, motionless.
