Transmigrated Into a Cannon Fodder Phoenix, Stuck With the Ice Dragon-Chapter 131: Hard To Kill

"No—no!"

Elyndra screamed.

Even though I couldn’t see her expression clearly, I knew... she was terrified.

She struggled violently, twisting and writhing, trying to tear her neck free from Thalor’s grip.

"Aish... how annoying," Thalor muttered.

His shoulders slumped as he let out a loud, impatient sigh.

Then he lifted his other hand, grabbed Elyndra by the shoulder and snapped her head in one swift motion.

I screamed.

Lucian pulled me into his chest instantly, shielding my face, but it was too late. I had already seen it, Elyndra’s head torn clean from her body.

Even if it was only water, the sound still echoed in my ears.

"Am I being too cruel?" Thalor asked casually, not sounding guilty in the slightest.

Lucian clicked his tongue, "At least give a warning, bastard."

"Oh." Thalor nodded once. "Alright. I’ll warn you next time."

Then he turned his head slightly.

"Sis," he called lazily. "Want to see something?"

I hesitated, then peeked out from Lucian’s chest just in time to see Thalor snap his fingers.

"See?" he said with a smirk.

The water moved.

Slowly, unnaturally, Elyndra’s head drifted back toward her body and reattached itself as if nothing had happened.

Of course no blood and no visible wound.

Just... her soul became whole again.

"She’s hard to kill," Thalor added flatly.

Elyndra gasped, fury and fear twisting together as she realized the truth.

And my stomach dropped.

Thalor tilted his head, watching my reaction with faint interest. "Want to try?" he asked casually.

My breath caught.

Lucian’s arms tightened around me at once. "No," he said flatly. "She’s not touching her."

Thalor shrugged. "Just offering."

I swallowed hard.

My hand was still gripping Lucian’s chest, fingers trembling as if they didn’t belong to me anymore. I hadn’t even realized how tightly I was holding on until Lucian shifted slightly, grounding me.

"I..." My voice came out small. "Lucian, this is too—"

The word wouldn’t come. My lips trembled, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t finish the sentence.

This wasn’t fear of them. It was the shock of realizing how far punishment could go.

I had never seen it before. Never been this close to it.

Thalor watched me quietly for a moment, then let out a low scoff.

"So you’re seeing it for the first time," he said, glancing at Lucian and Auren. "That explains it."

His gaze moved between the three of them, faint irritation crossing his face. "You’ve kept her away from this side," he muttered. "Both of you."

Lucian’s arm tightened around me. "She didn’t need to see it," he said calmly.

Thalor clicked his tongue. "Of course," he said. "Love makes people careful. Make them hide the ugly parts."

Auren spoke then, his voice steady. "It’s not about hiding," he said. "It’s about choosing when it’s necessary."

Thalor looked back at me. "This is what happens when guilt doesn’t stop," he said flatly. "When someone keeps crossing lines."

He paused. "You’re not wrong to feel shaken," he added. "You’re just not used to seeing how people like us end things."

Lucian lowered his head slightly, his voice quiet against my hair. "You don’t have to understand this today," he said. "Or ever."

I swallowed, nodding faintly.

I wasn’t afraid of them. I was afraid of how wide the world suddenly felt and how many things I had never seen before.

"Hey, fairy," Thalor said impatiently, dragging Elyndra, who was still wriggling inside the water, closer to Vivian. "Can you stand? I need your help with the spell."

Vivian nodded weakly and tried to push herself up.

Her arms trembled. Then gave out. She winced softly and sank back to the floor.

Before anyone else could move, I rushed to her side and slipped an arm around her shoulders, helping her sit upright.

"Easy," I murmured. "Don’t force it."

Vivian leaned against me, breathing unevenly. "Sorry," she whispered. "I... overdid it."

Thalor clicked his tongue. "Tch. Figures."

Lucian crouched beside us, his expression tight. "How long do you need?"

"Not long," Vivian said, lifting her head despite the strain. "But I need to stay conscious. If I pass out, the seal won’t hold."

Elyndra laughed weakly, water sloshing as she struggled. "You think this will work?" she sneered. "You’ve all tried before."

Thalor tightened his grip, unimpressed. "Quiet," he said. "You’re wasting oxygen you don’t deserve." He looked back at Vivian. "You don’t need to stand," he added. "Just stay awake."

Vivian nodded, swallowing hard.

I tightened my hold on her without thinking.

"Excuse me?"

The voice came from behind Auren, soft and almost hesitant.

We all turned.

Celeste peeked her head out slightly, her expression shy but sincere. "Can I help?"

Vaylen immediately reached for her arm. "No, dear," he said gently. "You’re still weak."

Celeste smiled at him, her eyes warm and reassuring. "It’s okay, Father," she said softly.

She lifted her hand and pulled something from the chain around her neck.

A small glass bottle. Clear. Simple and carefully sealed.

"I’m often injured," Celeste continued quietly. "But I can’t always force myself to cry." She glanced down at the bottle in her palm. "So I keep my tears. Just in case."

The room went very still.

"So I can help myself," Celeste said softly, then looked at Vivian. "Or someone else... when it matters."

She stepped forward and held the bottle out. "Here," she said gently. "Use this."

Vivian stared at it, frozen.

Then she slowly lowered her head, guilt weighing down her shoulders. "I’m sorry... my lady."

Celeste shook her head lightly, pressing her lips together before speaking. "I know," she said quietly. "You did it to protect this world. I’m not blaming you."

I looked from Vivian to Celeste, my confusion growing.

Vivian finally lifted her gaze and met my eyes. "Her face," she said softly. "I was the one who did it."

My heart skipped.

"I used a spell," Vivian continued. "To make her look like you. Just for a time."

My mind stalled. "Sorry?" I blurted out. "You did what?"

Vivian swallowed hard. "It wasn’t about fooling... just Elyndra’s eyes," she said quietly. "That would’ve been useless."

I frowned. "Then why?"

Vivian met my gaze, her voice steady but heavy. "Because Elyndra doesn’t hunt by appearance alone," she said. "She follows echoes. Fate marks. The weight of a soul that doesn’t belong where it stands."

The room went still.

"When you were born," Vivian continued, "your existence left a trace. Not visible but loud. To beings like her."

Celeste’s fingers curled at her side. "So Vivian changed me," she said softly. "Not to replace you... but to take the noise."

My breath caught.

"I shifted the echo," Vivian said. "Bound it to Celeste instead of you. Anyone looking for you through fate would hit her trail first."

I shook my head slowly. "That’s insane," I whispered. "You could’ve killed her."

Vivian’s eyes lowered. "I know," she said. "That’s why I feel guilty."

Elyndra suddenly laughed sharply. "And you think I’m that stupid?" she sneered.

Vivian didn’t flinch. "I knew you’d notice eventually," she said calmly. "But by then, Seraphina would already be grown. Already strong enough to survive you."

Celeste looked at me, her expression gentle. "I believed I was chosen because I was expendable," she said. "I was chosen because I could endure it."

The silence that followed was heavy. Not because the plan was foolish but because it had worked.

"So..." I asked quietly, looking straight at Celeste. "Did you know from the start?"

Celeste shook her head quickly, waving her hands as if afraid I might misunderstand. "No," she said. "Not at first."

She lowered them slowly, her voice softening. "I only figured it out not long ago," she continued. "When the dreams started feeling... wrong."

She hesitated, then looked at me.

"And when you asked me before... why did I look different," Celeste added. "I didn’t understand it then."

She let out a small, self-conscious chuckle. "And honestly," she said lightly, "being trapped in a place without even a mirror... I couldn’t really see my own face at the time, right?"

Her fingers tightened around the necklace in her palm.

"It was only after I got my face back," she said quietly, "that everything finally made sense."

The words settled slowly, carrying the weight of truth finally finding its place.

"Don’t waste time," Celeste added gently. "Use my tears first."

She placed the small bottle into my hand.

"My tears can heal certain wounds," she said softly, looking at me. "Not as powerful as yours... but they’re known for mending smaller injuries."

She turned to Vivian, her gaze steady.

"At least let them help where they can." The bottle felt warm against my skin, but something clicked in my mind.

"Then let me use my flame," I said suddenly. "I can heal her that way."

"No!" Vivian refused instantly.

"You can’t," she said, shaking her head hard despite her weakness. "When you use that power... you’re bare. Completely unguarded."

Her fingers trembled as she looked at me. "Don’t," she whispered. "Not here. Not now."

I froze.

Vivian drew in a shallow breath and reached for the bottle. "I’ll use Lady Celeste’s tears," she said firmly. "That’s enough."