Thanks to the combined efforts of Molly and Lime, the lanterns were completed. It was at that moment that Glenn’s soul was in peril.
“Ergh…”
Elle, Queen of the Underworld, was wringing Glenn’s neck. He didn’t know if souls could even feel pain, or if this only hurt because of Elle’s strength as the authority of the Underworld.
“Don’t resist. It’s all a waste,” Elle told him. “Everything dies. No matter what you doctors do, people who are going to die will die, and people who are going to vanish will vanish. Why not? You can be my counselor here in the Underworld. Wouldn’t that be easier?”
“Err…”
Molly and the fairy clung to Elle’s arm, but it was futile.
“I…refuse,” Glenn managed to stammer. “Even if everyone dies in the end, I can be their doctor until that point. It’s not a waste just because it will end someday… There are things I have to do to protect life before I die…”
Elle frowned grumpily.
“So, I will go home. My life is not over yet—I can’t end it like this and make Sapphee cry…”
“I see. That’s too bad,” Elle said cruelly.
It seemed no matter how desperately he pleaded his case, it just worsened her mood.
“I liked you as long as you were confined…but I’ve changed my mind. I will destroy your soul now.”
Glenn realized this was the end. Elle’s right hand moved.
“My right side is death itself. No matter the being, with my strength, you will disappear,” Elle said as her right hand pierced Glenn’s heart.
“Uuh.”
A cold sensation struck Glenn. He understood he would lose the last bit of warmth left in his body. Neither Molly nor Cottingley could stop the process.
“Ah…”
“It really is unfortunate,” she said.
Glenn closed his eyes, understanding he would die.
“The only thing that could save you now is the strength of the phoenix—”
Then, he saw flames. Glenn’s body was instantly engulfed in flames and shining.
“Huh?”
“Whaaat?” Elle scrambled to pull her hand away. But the flames that transferred from Glenn’s body to hers covered one of her arms, burning redder and brighter.
“This…” Glenn uttered.
“Impossible! This…is phoenix flame! I thought I destroyed all of them!” Elle was confused.
Glenn’s body was covered in warm flames. Even though his skin was burning brightly, he felt calm inside. He had no idea what was happening, but it seemed he had avoided the destruction of his soul for now.
“You! What did you do…? Where… How did you procure the strength of a phoenix? Why is the power of the phoenix being passed to your soul?!”
Glenn didn’t say anything. He didn’t know the answer. He had examined Illy before, and she had phoenix blood in her, but supposedly lacked the power of immortality.
“Queen Elle, that’s enough,” Molly intervened.
She held her severed head and her weapon and stood facing her, ready to protect Glenn.
“Molly! What is going on?!”
“Nothing is going on… The power of the phoenixes you annihilated was passed down to their descendants. That’s all. Glenn just happened to get a hold of that power because he was a doctor who examined everyone without prejudice,” she explained.
“What do you mean?” Glenn asked.
“Don’t you remember? Didn’t you get a burning feather from the descendant of a phoenix?”
She was right. He’d once received a red feather that fell from Illy in the harpy village. It had radiated heat, like it was burning. So that hadn’t been an illusion—it really was a piece of phoenix power.
“The power of the phoenix was engraved on his soul. He saved the child of a phoenix, and so he was blessed. Even the descendants of the phoenixes have enough power to save a soul from destruction once or twice,” she said.
“Did you know this, Molly?” he asked.
“Well, I understood it when I brought you here,” Molly replied, her severed head winking.
“Ugh… Ah, they’re still thorns in my side, even after I destroyed them! But this is the end. You have seen my right side, so I will never let you escape!”
Elle waved her arm and dark fairies appeared out of nowhere. Their wings buzzed as they drew close to Glenn to capture him.
“C’mon now, Your Highness. Can’t you let him go?” Molly suggested.
“So you’re on their side, Molly? You traitor,” Elle glared.
“Nope. I’m not a traitor, and I’m not on anyone’s side. If you insist that I choose a side—then I’m on the side of faith,” Molly answered.
“If that’s the case, you won’t mind being made to grovel before a god! Go, fairies…oof?!”
The moment Elle tried to give her order, the right side of her body exploded in flames. The phoenix flame was violently burning through her body. “The fire…it’s…it’s hot… What is this? How did this happen?”
“Hmmm. Queen Elle, have you ever heard this tale? When a phoenix reaches the end of its life, it burns up along with its own nest, turning into tiny white larvae. Those larvae grow, and the phoenix continues to resurrect indefinitely.”
“What…did you say?”
As Elle suffered, more and more flames erupted from the right side of her body. Each flame took the shape of a burning bird. The white grubs that Glenn had thought were maggots were the actually phoenix larvae. Each one grew with the flames, turned into a bird, and obstructed the dark fairies.
Then the fire began to spread. It spread from Elle to her throne room, turning everything around them into an inferno…but there was no heat. None of the flames seemed to affect Glenn.
It was the flame of life. The power of life was lighting up the Underworld.
“Now then—let’s take this opportunity to run, Glenn. Guide him, little fairy!” Molly exclaimed.
“Er, very well—but know that I resent accepting an order from you!” Cottingley said before going straight to the door to open it. He’d had flown all around the castle to obtain the tools necessary to examine the dead. He was familiar with its layout.