Chapter 45 - What kills me makes me stronger.

The two listened observing the barrier and it suddenly shattered as they felt the surge of energy dissipate and found the two unharmed where Erina complained to them that they almost scared her to death while Raven remain silent somewhat felt emotion coming from Jean Grey that connected to Erix curious asking what it was that made Jean Grey to blush while Erix just chuckled explaining what happened.

"That sounds like a manga plot! Are you planning on doing that with us?" Erina exclaimed while Erix shrugged it off and said.

"Maybe, can't deny having more beauty by my side can I?" Erix teases her, making the young woman blush while Raven slightly blush then blankly looks at him and says,

"Do you always say that with every pretty girl you meet?"

"Hey, I'm at least open and honest. That aside, do you want to spar with me? Maybe, I can help with your powers. Oh right, I have few raw meat materials and wondered if you can try cooking some of them?" Erina became interested as she wanted to taste food from another world.

"Hmm, you're lucky for someone like me to cook for you." He nodded, taking out the enormous grabs and bison that are rich in protein and nutrients having eaten them with little season yet had the taste of countless flavors. It was akin to having Wagyu and Kobe beef mixed together that had tender juice once cooked properly.

Erina eyes widen seeing new ingredients and ways to cook. Erix grinned, wanting to know how flavorful it was once prepared by Erina. He already dismantled and separated every meat to help her ease the preparation. Erix also gives some spices that are grown from his kingdom that came from Yggdrasil having found the quality of supposedly trash items to have been the best item he had brought.

"I've sensed that there is a kitchen close by."

Erix said pointing to the direction where the kitchen was and Erina nodded as they took the food inside letting her work her charm.

"It might take some time since I'll be tasting them first to check the perfect blend. I'm surprised how fresh they appear."

"Knock yourself out and that meat is different from normal that's why it takes time for them to decompose. Also our inventory most likely freezes, that's why it looks as if it never edges."

"That's so. Well, thank you for providing me with these ingredients."

Erix nodded, letting her work since she doesn't mind being alone and prefer it that way before returning to the Arena where he found Raven and Jean chatting with each other having a better interaction than Erina having shared their own experience from their world. After the two finished their conversation, Raven went to the side telling them that she'll have her turn since wanted to test her power against Erix.

The two stood opposite of each other having erected a multi-dimensional barrier and Infinite Prison having made sure there won't be anyone getting affected by it unless they can sense the metaphysical energy that will permeate from them.

Having finished his preparation, Erix immediately took it seriously since Jean Grey powered by Phoenix force shouldn't be taken lightly. He shrouded himself and his spear with [ True Demon Dragon Lord Haki ] churning the cosmic power that he acquired from the Phoenix having replicated and connected to Marvel.

He learns that the Arena still connects their worlds and took stances having duplicated the spear into four polearm from Naginata, Halberd, Glaives and Spears adding his armor of [ Shormaush Urdal Armor set ] yet didn't use his [ Dies Irae: Testament of the end ].

Erix knew using the power cosmic vastly increased his power from earlier and his healing had been amped up by ridiculous degree due to his [ Ultimate skill: God of Rebirth, Phoenix ]. He was shrouded in miasmic cosmic scarlet energy that was his own Cosmic Energy permeate from his Yggdrasil tree that was constantly growing and most likely become more powerful than likely turned similar to marvel Yggdrasil that expanded through all time and space.

He can see through more, having sensed the entire cosmos, especially his Eyes of the Lord. The Universal Sense expanded even further than before having awareness throughout the cosmos. However, if it is awareness, not omniscient.

This made even stronger than before but pale in comparison to Jean Grey who now assimilated the vessel of the Phoenix forces even if it is a diluted and regressed state of the Phoenix force. Raven was powerful, having sensed the entity within Jean Grey feeling something familiar and wanted to peer even more but didn't try respecting some privacy.

Their power was so breathtaking that she thought if they didn't have the barrier then it would kill a normal person like Erina who was happily cooking and tasting the meat that was quick in how it cooked. She was amazed by the taste and continued to prepare some dishes.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix sensed Raven and noticed her soul, finding that it was similar to her. An immensely powerful cosmic power that could be the Nexus of all emotion. She noted that Raven could be someone related to her. Perhaps a mirror of herself.

"From what the phoenix said, she should have given you some insight on how to tap into the phoenix force. Come at me with all you got."

Erix said while Jean nodded and took a deep breath instantly her entire body was enveloped in ethereal flames that didn't simply burn but rather destroyed it and created everything at its purest form. An avatar of the Phoenix rose above her while Raven shook, reminded of her when she released her soul self.

'Maybe she's right that we have something in common.' Raven muttered thinking the two had similar powers and an empathy sensing that Jean was opposite of her that was cheerful and kind while she is distant yet kind as well. Meanwhile, Erix saw this grinned in delight. Normally the instinct of a person differs, fear and thrill can be the same since the symptoms are the same yet how you take those things changes everything.

Fear is never coming yet surviving and the thrill of a fight is overcoming and surviving. Erix released an image of a dragon from his Haki and blitzed towards her, feeling the cosmic flames burning through his Haki around his body. Jean held out his hand and churn her flames blasting Erix yet he swung his polearms and cut through the attack with ease while Jean surprised and stopped his spear as she tried to trust it into her abdomen.

Jean Grey was a bit shocked that Erix tried to pierce her using his spear. Erix on the other hand pulled her spear back and stepped a few feet from her.

"A-Are you trying to kill me?" She was obviously scared while Erix shook his head and said.

"It won't kill you, only hurt you unless I intentionally plan to." Jean Grey was unsure sensing their connection trust his words and the kept fighting with Erix continuously tried to get up close evading her cosmic flame blast. He was holding back in terms of using his arsenal since his option wasn't only close range and can certainly attack long range.

Erix was adjusting to using Power Cosmic since it was vastly different from Magicule. He was also teaching Jean Grey throughout the fight and going easy on her, causing him a lot where he had his whole arms burn to a crisped.

"Oh shi-" Erix saw a ball of cosmic flames that distorted space and time that directly incinerated his entire body and destroyed every part of his body from an accident when Jean Grey was caught by surprise.

"Erix!!"

Raven who was watching was horrified at what happened while Jean Grey was stunned when he was killed yet her emotion didn't feel like he died and felt their connection was still there and from the ashes Erix reformed himself more powerful than before.

"Goodness gracious!! I really thought I died there!" Erix laughs it off since his [ Ultimate skill: God of Rebirth, Phoenix ] allows him to never die and every time he does makes him even stronger. He also won't die as long as Jean Grey exist.

In addition, it depends on how much he's destroyed. For example, character erasure would take some time. Erix also a True dragon who is virtually immortal but unlike them, he will retain his personality.

"Erix! Are you alright!? I'm so sorry!!" Jean ran up to him checking if he was alright and apologized while Erix shook his head patting her since he was taller in his true form.

"Nah, I got stronger when I died, thanks to my new skill. Anyway, I think you should rest before you overexert yourself since you're still new at using your powers." Jean Grey wanted him to be the one to rest but denied it since he was sturdier than he looked and what happened earlier was fluke.

After a while, Jean Grey sat in the audience and Raven went to take her turn in the sparring, curious how strong Erix was compared to her. While Erix knew base from what he read is Raven at her strongest form w which was the Unkindness Raven, Excluding Gold Raven since it never been properly established.

At that level, she was supposedly comparable to the final frontier Darkseid capable of fighting at a scale unimagined. Raven should be comparable to Jean Grey if she let go of her limitations.

"Glad you could join me in this dance, Raven. You seem less alof than before." Erix trying to joke and ease the tension between them. He knows that she is just awkward and wants to distance herself.

"....I don't know if you're flirting with me or not." Unable to use her empathy against him was blind at sensing what he felt while Erix grinned, showing his dragonic tooth and five dragon eyes.

"I won't tell."