Book 5: Chapter 137: Reason (1)
Luna grinned nonchalantly. “That’s really…”
BOOM!
In a swift turn of events, Luna transformed into a blur as she was sent crashing into the icy lake by a monstrous force.
Princess Estelle, now flapping her wings and hovering above the frozen surface, scanned the area with heightened vigilance. Her intense gaze missed nothing, not even the slightest crack in the ice.
Suddenly, her body tensed.
From beneath the icy surface, a long spear shot upward with deadly precision.
Estelle, who had already picked up the movement, managed to dodge it effortlessly. But the attack was a feint; another spear was already poised in her escape path.
The beast who had already lost her senses, wore a disdainful look on her face. She recklessly caught the semi artifact with its bare hands.
Claws clashed against the lance, creating a shower of sparks akin to metal striking metal. With a defiant roar, Princess Estelle repelled the activated semi artifact with sheer brute force.
“Aww, that’s not fair,” Luna remarked as she emerged from the lake. The water parted around her, and steps of solid ice formed beneath her feet, allowing her to ascend gracefully from the depths.“Isn’t it a bit too much to use those long claws and tough scales against me, a delicate young girl whose skin could easily be burnt by a scorching sun?” Luna’s tone was light, almost teasing, as she rubbed her shoulder where Princess Estelle had torn her dress. The wound had already healed, leaving her fair skin as unblemished as a baby’s.
Luna waved her hand, and a mystical light radiated from her palm, splitting into more than a dozen streams that surrounded her.
Each stream materialized into a different weapon—sabers, spears, swords, halberds, each radiating profound energy which hinted at their semi artifact nature.
With a gentle clap of her hands, Luna’s golden pupils glowed brightly, commanding the weapons with an invisible force.
Lightning bolts danced between each weapon Luna controlled, and suddenly, blue flames erupted, raising the temperature to unimaginable heights. In mere moments, the semi artifacts began to melt into a molten liquid.
Luna opened her palms, and the shimmering golden liquid gathered there, forming a cylindrical shape under her deft manipulation.
The remaining liquid streamed toward one end of the cylinder, fusing into a huge crescent.
It turned out to be a colossal scythe, at least three meters in length.
Luna swung the disproportionate weapon with an ease that belied its size. She nodded slightly, indicating her satisfaction with its size and weight.
“Mhmmm, you shall be known as Lilith’s Gift from now. You better not let her down,” Luna declared, casually naming the scythe. Her gaze then shifted back to the sinister monster in front of the floating green ore, her eyes forming crescents as if smiling.
“It’s a fair fight now, don’t you agree, my dear sister?”
The creation of the giant scythe used less than a dozen semi artifacts. The remaining molten metal liquid, unused in its creation, condensed into countless tiny, irregular fragments.
As Luna’s imperfect domain expanded, these fragments moved erratically amidst the maelstrom of electric arcs and intense heat, swirling like a metallic sandstorm over the underground lake.
In the eye of this storm, Luna commanded over it like a queen. She slowly lifted “Lilith’s Gift”, now fully formed, in a defiant gesture.
Princess Estelle appeared before her, flapping her enormous wings and stirring the storm. Each spike on her body transformed into a weapon, lunging at Luna in a deadly ballet.
Luna met her attack with “Lilith’s Gift”.
Clang, clang, clang!
The clashes between the giant scythe and the claws rang out like a symphony of swords, sending sparks flying in a spectacular display, reminiscent of fireworks.
The battle intensified, with Princess Estelle’s movements becoming a blur, much like a shadow flickering on a canvas of white. Luna matched her, swinging her giant scythe as she clashed with the dragon-blood-fueled monster.
They clashed with the speed of lightning, and then separated, almost like they were in sync with each other.
Princess Estelle was breathing heavily, her golden eyes were slowly tinted with a shade of blood. Her body was marred by deep gashes from the giant scythe. Scales were upturned and blood was spilled. Some of her wounds were so deep that bones were exposed.
Meanwhile “Lilith’s Gift” that was just born in Luna’s hands became “Lilith’s pole”. Its crescent-like sharp blade was shattered by Princess Estelle’s body.
Luna remained unfazed. With a wave of her hand, the “iron sand” around her melted and converged again, reshaping itself into the scythe blade.
Initially, Luna had used the sandstorm of her imperfect domain to hinder Estelle’s movements. However, as she continuously drew material from the “sand” to repair the scythe, the storm weakened significantly.
Now, it was as ineffective as dust swept from the floor, barely scratching Estelle.
Estelle rapidly healed from her injuries, her greenish-gray scales knitting back together.
She grinned savagely, putting her row of dangerous-looking fangs on full display.
Empowered by the potent dragon blood coursing through her veins, she possessed an almost endless regenerative ability.
How many weapons could Luna possibly forge to keep up with such regenerative power?
Guided by her beastly instincts, Princess Estelle made the best possible tactical decision. As soon as she recuperated from her injuries, she lunged at Luna with the ferocity and agility of a dragon.
Luna swung her scythe once more.
Before long, “Lilith’s Gift” reached a point where it could no longer be repaired due to depleted materials.
The once formidable scythe began to resemble a piece of scrap metal, cruelly worn and forsaken by the relentless passage of time. The places where Luna held it appeared distorted and bent under the force.
As Princess Estelle’s wounds healed once again, she fixed her gaze on Luna, her eyes alight with excitement.
The prospect of facing Luna, now seemingly defenseless, filled her with a keen anticipation.
Meanwhile, Luna nonchalantly discarded “Lilith’s Gift”. The scythe, which she had crafted with such skill but was rapidly destroyed in the heat of battle, was tossed aside as if it were no more than an afterthought.
With a hint of resignation in her voice, Luna said, “I had hoped this would be enough, but it seems you’re tougher than I expected, sister. Well then, it looks like I will have to tap into some real power.”
Luna suddenly lifted her gaze, peering into the void where nothing seemed to exist.
“The next part of this fight might get a bit gruesome. For the sake of any children watching, it’s probably best to stop the broadcast here.”
As she spoke, subtle ripples seemed to emanate through the void, as if some unseen observer heeded her suggestion and turned away.
Having delivered her caution, Luna redirected her attention to Princess Estelle, who still wore a menacing grin.
“Playtime’s over. Please enjoy yourself in the… real battle that’s about to begin, my dear sister!”
In the blink of an eye, Luna vanished from her spot.
In the next moment, she reappeared right in front of Estelle, extending her hand toward Estelle’s robust chest.
The force behind what appeared to be a mere gentle palm strike was immense.
Princess Estelle’s chest instantly caved in under the impact.
ROAR!
Roaring in pain, Estelle retaliated viciously, her claws stabbing mercilessly toward Luna’s abdomen.
The scene mirrored their previous exchange, but this time, Luna did not move to evade.
She allowed the sharp claws to penetrate her abdomen, seemingly indifferent to the gaping wound they created.
Despite the severity of her injury, Luna’s expression was eerily calm and her face was flushed with strange excitement.