Avatar - Conquering the Elements-Chapter 157

The Fire Nation. The Fire Lord's Palace.

Within the monumental walls of the nation's main building, life always bustled, the fates of thousands were decided, and various intrigues were woven. However, the latter were carried out quietly and rarely, as rumors had long circulated through the Palace that Crown Prince Zuko had ears in every nook and cranny, no matter how small.

Suddenly, the massive entrance doors swung wide open, sending the nearby guards tumbling to the ground. Every eye immediately darted toward the intruder, as everyone was eager to see the face of the audacious person who dared enter this sacred place for the Fire Nation in such an extravagant manner.

Before them stood the very embodiment of Power, Nobility, and Beauty. Her blond hair, rare in this world, seemed to shine like the sun itself. The vertical slits of her serpentine eyes appeared to peer into the very soul, leaving no one able to withstand even a second of eye contact. Completing the picture were her slightly pointed ears, striking figure, and towering height. The pressure her presence exerted forced everyone to simply swallow their prepared angry speeches.

Soon, her steady footsteps echoed down the corridor, and everyone in her path reflexively stepped aside.

"Father, I'm coming..." thought Aine, wondering what his reaction would be. Honestly, she had long dreamed of having a more human body. After all, she had missed many joyful moments simply because of her enormous size. Fortunately, the blood memory had made it clear—transformation was possible! True, it required considerable effort, as changing form could only occur after the so-called "awakening." This was the process of a dragon reaching adulthood, happening when the blood memory was fully absorbed and a certain critical mass of energy was attained. That's why she had done nothing but fight and rest. Most of her ancestors' memories centered on battles. And between fights, she absorbed the energy emitted by the local star, thereby improving her channels and source.

It's worth noting she has much to be proud of. Many dragons only undergo their awakening after a hundred years. And all would be well, but... She still fears tight basement and semi-basement spaces. Childhood traumas don't just disappear.

She had prepared long enough for this day. For example, she and Celine had spent several days choosing just one dress. Celine's taste is impeccable—for years now, her father has worn outfits created by his daughter's hands. But it seems his choice is dictated by the fact that ordinary fabric can no longer withstand his training, which is why he used to buy an entire room full of different clothes, just to avoid being caught with his bare ass at any moment. Recently, Celine has mastered creating memorable and regenerative garments—if even a tiny piece of fabric from the clothing remains, it will immediately strive to return to its original form. It's nourished by life energy, the cost is minimal, so the outflow isn't even noticeable. She's currently wearing a dress made from this very plant-based material.

The journey to the throne room took less than five minutes. Ignoring the guards trying to say something, she pushed the massive doors forward. The next second, a loud crash was heard as something heavy and bulky collided...

"Again, I miscalculated my strength," she thought awkwardly, hiding her hands behind her back.

There, she was met by the narrowed gaze of golden eyes, so similar to her own—only without the vertical slit. The staring contest lasted a full minute. Azula had long understood who stood before her, but she refused to show weakness by breaking eye contact first.

"Just as expected from the royal family," Aine nodded to herself in satisfaction, closing her eyes. Only after becoming equal to the ancient spirits did she realize that Azula's dragon blood still ran strong. Members of her kind occasionally took an interest in humans, resulting in individuals with great talent for conquest. Apparently, the ancestors of one of her father's wives had tried to preserve their former greatness.

"Aine," her father's soft voice interrupted her thoughts. No longer hesitating, she rushed to Zuko to fully feel his embrace. "And how long have you been able to take human form?"

"About a week now," she admitted shyly, only now realizing she had prepared for too long.

"Well, you've certainly caused a stir," Azula remarked, shaking her head. Just then, a third observer appeared beside her, whom she had to forcibly calm. It wasn't every day that an unknown figure, whose immense power could be felt in the air, strolled through the Palace.

"It's nothing, it'll be a lesson for them," Zuko waved it off. "Otherwise, at the slightest thing, they come running to us as if we're supposed to wipe their noses," he said, of course understanding that Aine's passive aura pressure was something an ordinary person couldn't handle. But the Palace was filled daily with dozens of conquerors who could offer at least some resistance.

"There's nothing urgent. Let's go, you can tell me about the changes you've undergone," Zuko took Aine's hand, leading her to the ruler's private chambers, located right behind the throne.

"This is exactly what I've wanted all this time," Aine thought happily. Simple physical closeness brought her a flood of new emotions, as the human body proved far more sensitive. Even if she lost nearly thirty percent of her power in this form, it was definitely worth it.

*

The Spirit Realm. One of the largest settlements of light spirits. Yuki.

In the ninety-third year after the genocide of the Air Nomads, I had already visited this extremely peculiar place, where all climatic zones harmoniously intertwined. At that time, I managed to detect the energy of only a couple of ancient spirits: the ice and fire phoenixes. In reality, there are far more here. This area is a natural generator of vast amounts of diverse elemental energy, so it's no surprise that atop each of the dozen mountains here resides an ancient spirit. By the way, the Great Master of Air Currents occupies one of these mountains.

"Approaching hordes of dark spirits have been spotted fifty kilometers away. Within an hour, they'll be here," reported the extremely serious Wong. He had been on reconnaissance missions, so we hadn't really had a chance to chat and reminisce about old times. "Judging by my senses, there are definitely more than six, or even seven, ancient spirits among them," he grimly concluded.

"My mistake," Van Shi Tong slightly bowed his head. "I should have realized that all their actions were leading to some goal..."

Over the past couple of years, the dark spirits had stopped causing much trouble, contenting themselves with the lands they had conquered. It turned out that all this time, they had been led by other ancient spirits preparing for a large-scale attack on these lands. If this settlement were successfully captured, the rate of new dark spirits appearing would increase manifold. Retreat was not an option.

"We all overlooked the threat," the fire phoenix shook his massive head. And it's hard to say right now who would be stronger—Agni or this spirit, whose name I still don't know. "But with such strong support, I'm growing more confident in our victory," he looked at us with a certain gratitude—Driya, Aine, and me.

For an hour, each of us prepared for battle. Weak spirits retreated deeper into the territory. I wasn't worried about Driya and Aine. They had proven in practice that they could save their own lives. The latter had almost caught up with me in terms of both the quality and quantity of life energy.

"It seems dragons in every world possess immeasurable power..." I thought with a hint of envy, already hearing the sounds of thousands of spirits approaching.

The next twelve hours merged into a single picture for me, where I had to stay focused every second. There were fewer ancient spirits on the enemy side, but that didn't make the battle any easier, as they possessed quite foul elements. Somehow, I ended up facing a spirit that commanded decay. This inconvenient opponent simply decayed my water-based attacks, forcing me to return to good old-fashioned fists. By the second hour, I had stopped counting how many times I had to regenerate my skin. Fortunately, his attacks never reached my internal organs.

Mid-level and higher spirits served as cannon fodder, as a single attack from an ancient spirit could easily kill a dozen of them. We did our best to protect our own, but it wasn't going well... As soon as you deflected a blow from a cluster of light spirits, your enemy would remind you of their presence. Perhaps it was then that I realized even mid-level spirits, whose actions were still dictated by instinct, could have the resolve to stand until the end.

Gradually, we managed to push the battlefield farther from the settlement—this allowed us to use our strengths to the fullest. Honestly, if the dark spirits had been even slightly more united, we would have fared much worse. There wasn't even a hint of camaraderie on their side. A perfect example occurred in the eighth hour of intense battle: the phoenixes nearly killed one ancient spirit, only for it to be immediately devoured by its "teammate."

At some point, my other bodies joined the battle, tipping the scales even further in our favor. The source grew like yeast, and dozens of fire, earth, water, and air spirits perished here and there. It's just a shame that none of the ancients were among them.

"They're retreating!" a higher spirit who had survived this meat grinder exclaimed joyfully.

No one intended to pursue the remaining spirits. If you corner an ancient spirit, you're guaranteed to receive a posthumous gift. It was enough for us that we had managed to finish off three ancients and countless weaker spirits.

"I think such a loss will make them curb their appetites," I muttered, still tightly gripping the life energy crystal in my right hand.

"They'll definitely keep a lower profile for several years," nodded a hippopotamus-like spirit unknown to me.

"The girls performed well," I glanced at Driya and Aine. They looked exhausted, but no serious injuries were visible.

*

Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.

The Southern Water Tribe. Yuki.

The South Pole was unrecognizable. The new city, built by the efforts of Sokka and other southerners, showcased the soul they had poured into the project. The native inhabitants would walk with proud smiles on their faces for a long time, as they had not only preserved their home but also restored its former glory. Yes, the streets were a bit deserted, but in ten years, it would definitely be impossible to move around.

To somehow distinguish themselves from their northern brethren, the southerners painted their icy houses in various colors. Thanks to this, every day here felt like some kind of festival—the atmosphere changed so much when bright colors were added to life.

Whether from the animated series or some Avatar comics, there's a vague understanding that the southerners didn't particularly like being dependent on their northern neighbor. But after listening to conversations, I realized my worries were unfounded.

The Palace deserves special mention. Built in the traditional style of the Water Tribes, it blended well with new architectural trends. The building seemed to say, "The past is not forgotten, but we're looking to the future." The overall structure was designed as terraces with numerous domes and towers.

"Now the Palace of the Northern Water Tribe seems like some kind of joke," I complained to my companions—Katara and Yui. Even the Palace of the Earth King and the Fire Lord wouldn't look as majestic here.

"I didn't know Sokka suffered from gigantism," said Katara, whose head was already spinning from the number of corridors and rooms. And yet, only ten percent of all the rooms were currently in use...

"Your brother doesn't skimp on details," noted Yui. Sokka himself was currently on an expedition searching for useful minerals.

The reason for our arrival at the South Pole wasn't just to see Sokka, but also to stop annoying our parents, who, though reluctantly, had given their blessing to my relationship with my little sister. The girls couldn't wait to taste the forbidden fruit called sex.

"Alright, we'll have time to admire the architecture later. Let's go to our chambers instead," my sister said impatiently, embracing my left arm. And judging by how Katara silently joined her, she wasn't opposed.

"I'm all for it!" Whether it's good or bad, the moral principles of "me" from the past world no longer play a significant role. Whether it's because of my power or because I still see my sister as a character from a cartoon... The fact remains: my sister loves me, and I return her affection.