BOOM!
The blast from [Firmament Dividing Celestial Twilight] pierced the demon's defenses, tearing wounds into his body. Each crash against the ground splashed bluish blood. His wings were unable to slow his hurtling body. 'Since I can't stop, I will use this speed to make distance and recover. She can't catch up to me after hitting me so hard.'
Yasenia's lips curled when she saw the demon transform into a black blur and widen the distance. "You want me to chase? Haha! Let's see how fast you can fly!"
Then, as her lips arched wide enough to reveal her pointy fangs, Yasenia raised her right foot and brought it down with almost all her strength, time slowing down during her motions.
CRRRACK!
A massive spiderweb-like crack spread from her stomping point, and the surroundings around Yasenia stretched out in her vision, preparing her for the acceleration burst. Her pupils thinned to lines as the landscape stretched and she locked onto the retreating demon.
Following the stomping motion, Yasenia's foot and toes gripped the ground below, and she pushed, leaning forward almost horizontally. Her bent calf and thigh muscles stretched explosively, the ground whining beneath the strain.
The figure of Pegasus manifested around Yasenia. Its starlit wings stretched far beyond usual, framing her form. As Yasenia completed her motion, the horse galloped ahead.
"[Pegasus Gallop: Star Chasing]."
BOOM!!!
The floor sank beneath her and surged behind, rippling like liquid.
Ralgar had never lost sight of Yasenia, and his heart grew prickly when Yasenia raised her foot in an exaggerated motion. What happened next unnerved him.
When the dragoness stomped down, a flash of white light surrounded her, and in the next instant, a giant white horse made out of starlight burst forth with Yasenia in the middle. Her speed was absurd—she crossed a tenth of the gap in a single step.
'Is that dragon using pills to enhance her speed!? How can someone have so much burst acceleration!?'
When the second stomp followed, his heart lurched. This time, the distance she covered was a fifth! 'She wasn't going at full speed!?' The demon lamented. 'I shouldn't have provoked a dragon! I thought she would be weak because she was young!'
Third stomp!
Fourth stomp!
Even as both sides flew and covered thousands of kilometers, Yasenia halved the gap in four steps.
Ralgar's mind was in chaos. 'What is that technique? Each step she takes carries the previous momentum and multiplies it! Won't her legs explode if she keeps this up!? How tough are her muscles!'
Fifth stomp!
Sixth stomp!
"Gotcha."
Ralgar heard Yasenia's voice but was confused. 'She still has a fifth of the distance between us! Is she saying that I am within her attack range!?'
Draheart burst with light, and Yasenia thrust the massive sword forward as she stomped for the seventh time. "[Fairy Moon Steps], [Star Pierce]."
Using all the accumulated momentum of [Pegasus Gallop], Yasenia's leg muscles screamed and tore as she pushed her body beyond her limits. Then, she incorporated [Star Pierce] with her movement technique, transforming her own body into a projectile guided by Draheart.
White light swept the area, concentrating down to a line connecting the dragon and the demon. Yasenia's golden slit eyes locked onto the line as she began her seventh step.
Energy enveloped her, shielding her from the material world and letting her reach speeds she'd only known in space.
Ralgar, feeling a threat to his life, turned around and screamed, his dark aura surging and enveloping all the space between Yasenia and himself. "You dare target my life!? [Devouring Shadow Mantle]!"
However, it wasn't enough. The white line that linked him and Yasenia burst with bright light, and the dragoness traversed it.
S—LASH!
Yasenia disappeared and reappeared right behind the demon, her piercing motion completed. Behind her, Ralgar's shadowy, dark red eyes trembled as he muttered. "M-Monster."
[Star Pierce]'s energy exploded, creating a massive hole in the Demon Monarch's body. Yasenia tore her thigh and waist muscles, using her tail as a pivot to turn behind the demon, swinging Draheart with a shout. "[Celestial…SUNDER]!"
BOOM!
The demon's body, swallowed by the blue light, flew into the distance, mangled beyond recognition.
Yasenia's heavy breathing and pain made her grunt, almost throwing her off balance. Still, her excited heart reflected her current state of mind. 'That way of using skills… Hahahaha! It feels so good!'
She was by no means an expert, but Yasenia could finally see the path to improvement. She could see how her copies used her skills and why.
Looking inside, a wry laugh escaped her. "I've received more injuries from my own recklessness than the demon's attacks… Still."
Her gaze focused on the mangled body in the distance, and she noticed it was twitching. "...He is alive even after receiving an unprotected Celestial Sunder? A demon's resilience is truly ridiculous."
She didn't finish him off. Instead, she approached and spoke with a wry smile. "Thankfully, you didn't die, Senior. I was consumed by excitement when fighting a strong person and couldn't control my strength."
If they were alone in the wild, Yasenia would've finished him off. But she remembered something quite important that escaped her during the fight. 'There are spectators… Some from Ralgar's faction. If I dare finish him off here, I will make irreconcilable enemies.'
Although it hurt her heart, she very reluctantly placed a healing pill in the mouth of the mangled demon. "A healing pill, Senior. It should alleviate the pain."
'In truth, this pill is one Kali developed to alleviate the effects of my Celestial Energy. Celestial Energy is damaging to the point that common regeneration of immortals is useless. So, to stop it from gnawing into his soul and body, Kali made these pills out of powder from my shed scales. Now, how long will it take for him to recover? That's something for Ralgar to discover.'
Meanwhile, in the spectator stands, everyone was silent. Their eyes were fixed on the tall and voluptuous dragon woman standing over the body of the powerful demon. After the battle was finished, Yasenia released her skills, so her dress transformed back into its revealing blue form.
"...What was that last attack?" Someone finally asked, their hearts shivering when recalling Yasenia's last attack.
A man answered, his tone full of wariness. "I don't know. I've never seen that kind of energy. I could tell that there were mixes of Moon and Star attributes. Nevertheless, I could also feel a hint of Sun Energy. It's very strange and dangerous."
A woman spoke, her cold voice tinged with respect. "I thought that young dragon got lucky… It seems that I was being conceited. The reason she didn't reach further in the trials is probably because her copies are as absurdly strong as she is."
A woman in the corner, wearing the robes of the Astral Death Sect, muttered with a faint smile. "It seems that the Leader's worries were superfluous. There is no way that she is unqualified. Still… Doesn't that girl know restraint? It will be quite difficult to deal with the aftermath."
If she knew that Yasenia didn't use several of her buffing skills, even she might become scared.
Meanwhile, Yasenia sat cross-legged by Ralgar's side, waiting for the verdict. After a few minutes, she heard not the announcement but the demon's voice.
"...Why didn't you finish me off?"
Yasenia blinked and looked sideways. While her attacks had heavily deformed the demon's body, his head was mostly intact. "Why should I kill you? You act like all demons, and those looking at us probably will as well. If I kill you, you lot will start bothering me like pests, multiplying faster than I can kill."
Ralgar looked at Yasenia strangely for a moment before laughing. "You are really amusing."
Yasenia didn't react and just smiled faintly. Ralgar sighed and looked at the sky. "Outside, you are not this strong. Your cultivation level is too low. Have you thought about what you will do? You only have around seven to eight years before this Secret Realm closes."
"Hm… I have some plans. Honestly, I didn't want to show off as much as I did when fighting you. I just had a moment of inspiration and couldn't let it go."
"I see." Ralgar hummed. "But you know that I can't let you go after you showed me this, right?"
Yasenia snorted, annoyed. "I've already met your kind a few times. Do you think I don't know? At least, while you look forceful, you won't really kidnap and cage me. You only consider it a successful capture if I fall for you without you clipping my wings. You are the type of demon whom I dislike the least."
"Dislike the least?" Ralgar laughed at those words. "Are there no demons whom you like?"
Yasenia shook her head. "Your values are too far from mine. I value my family, but you bunch would steal someone's wife if you are attracted and are stronger than her mate. So, I will never get along with you, demons. Still, I can turn a blind eye as long as I am not bothered."
"That's…" Ralgar understood and chuckled. "Impossible. You are too attractive. I can bet you that some demons are leaking just looking at you and already imagining you giving birth to their little demonlings."
Yasenia looked at Ralgar with a deadpan. "I know that; no need to describe it in such detail." She added. "Not only demons. However, the difference is that demons act on those impulses much more easily than the other races. That's why you are annoying."
Ralgar snorted. "We aren't hypocrites, at least."
Yasenia clapped lightly. "Bravo, your kind honestly rapes and kills people out of impulse. Congratulations for not being a hypocrite."
Ralgar blinked, speechless, unable to answer that retort.
Those spectating could hear their conversation, and some started laughing, while others grumbled or sneered at each other.
The other fights took a while, so Ralgar and Yasenia stayed in the arena for almost twenty hours before the others finished. The demon had recovered a bit, in terms of form, even if his strength remained crippled from Yasenia's attacks.
"It will take years to recover to my peak… You are really ruthless."
Yasenia blinked and opened her eyes from her meditation. "...Is it okay to say those words aloud?"
Ralgar snorted, clenching and unclenching his hands. "Even if I am not at my peak, those worms won't dare touch me."
"Those who have advanced, please step forward into the next stage."
The announcement came at just the right time, and Yasenia stood up slowly. "Well, time to go to the next fight."
Ralgar stood up, his towering three-meter-tall body looking down at Yasenia. "Hey, little dragon."
Yasenia paused and looked back, curious. "What's wrong?"
Ralgar grinned, showing his sharp teeth, and threw a jade scroll at Yasenia. "If you change your mind, communicate with me through this."
"...Huh? You used one of your chances to retrieve items for this thing?"
Ralgar shook his head. "I always have it out. After all, Secret Realms that like to restrict access to items are too common… Speaking of which, what items do you have?"
"You wouldn't want to know." Yasenia took the jade scroll and placed it in her pocket. 'Who knows if it will be useful or not in the future? Better to keep it… Wait.'
Yasenia, who was about to leave, looked back with a suspicious gaze. "Hey. This doesn't have a tracking function or something similar, right?"
Ralgar waved his hand. "If you think it has one, throw it away."
Yasenia's sharp teeth itched. "I really want to bite your head off, annoying demon."
Ralgar grinned. "My head is quite big. Your pretty little mouth will be too full with it. Still, I heard a dragon's tongue is long; perhaps you can use that instead for the pleasure of both of us."
Yasenia almost rolled her eyes toward the sky and left without answering. Her mind focused on the next opponent. 'Astarea… Let's hope I don't have to use much more strength than I've already used.'