Cough, cough, cough!
Hearing the Snow Empress's words, Damien, who was sipping tea, choked immediately.
"Boop!"
Thankfully, his sweet Egorpon was there, patting her father's back.
A pet, huh?
While that wasn't entirely wrong, Damien wanted to say that if the Snow Empress wished, he'd promote her to the status of favored consort in a heartbeat.
Ice Empress: And what about me?
Damien: You stay a pet!
Ice Empress: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
"Are you taking me for a fool?"
Frey didn't buy the Snow Empress's words for a second. "With your power, even among majins, you could rival a Demon Lord."
The Snow Empress's strength indeed qualified her to claim the title of Demon Lord.
As always, outsiders couldn't distinguish between a Demon Lord Seed and a true Demon Lord.
If the Snow Empress stepped forward, claimed a territory, and established a nation, humans might well regard her as a Demon Lord.
Of course, such Demon Lords were often the ones hunted down by human Heroes in history.
"Why belittle yourself like that?"
Frey could sense the threat the Snow Empress posed.
This woman was formidable, her strength no less than Artoria's, who had just clashed with her.
As for the Snow Empress's self-introduction, Frey assumed it was just her affection for Damien, diminishing herself to elevate her man's status.
After all, love-struck beings were beyond reason.
"Ignorant!"
The Snow Empress had no interest in responding to Frey.
Frey had no idea where their power came from.
Without Damien, the Snow Empress would still be in the Douluoverse, manipulated like a pawn.
Artoria would be trapped in the grip of the Counter Force, forever unable to break free.
"You first, or me?"
Artoria said, "Of course, I don't mind if we go together."
She was a knight, true, but this wasn't a dueling arena.
On the battlefield, facing multiple foes was only natural, wasn't it?
"Hold her off for me."
"This space is too small. I need to deploy Great Nature so we can fight freely."
The Snow Empress's Great Nature was originally a skill to manipulate the environment, reshaping it to her will.
But after Damien acquired the Reality Marble from the Nasuverse, the Snow Empress benefited as well.
Now, Great Nature was no longer just a Unique Skill.
It should be called Reality Marble · Great Nature!
"No chance!"
Frey didn't know what the Snow Empress was planning, but she wouldn't let her succeed.
"You won't get past me to interfere with her."
Artoria raised her sword to intercept, engaging Frey once more in a clash of swordsmanship and spatial magic.
Swish, swish, swish!
This time, Artoria attacked only a few times before her rhythm was disrupted by crystalline spatial prisms sprouting from the void.
"Hm?"
Fighting in midair, Artoria had to guard not only her surroundings but also above and below.
Bang!
Bang, bang, bang!
Brandishing her holy sword, Artoria shattered the translucent spatial prisms.
This was a more advanced form of spatial magic, akin to Souei's Shadow Manipulation Strings.
It transformed the intangible element of space into a tangible form.
Like the relationship between water vapor, liquid, and ice, it condensed the invisible, untouchable spatial element into razor-sharp, diamond-hard lances that ignored defenses.
Unfortunately, despite the cunning trajectories of Frey's spatial prisms, they couldn't breach Artoria's defenses.
Nor did she have any chance to slip past Artoria and disrupt the Snow Empress.
With intuition rivaling future sight, unless her opponent possessed Unique Skills like God of War or Sword Saint, no one could overpower Artoria in close combat!
"It's starting…"
As both sides reached a stalemate, the Snow Empress's voice rang out calmly.
Boom!
The next moment, a surge of magical energy turned into a raging wind, enveloping the entire Tengu Sacred Mountain.
A curtain of light rose from all directions, splitting into an X-shape, dividing the space into four quadrants.
"What is this?!"
Frey, Artoria, and even Damien marveled at the unfolding scene.
Tender green sprouts emerged from the soil, willows draped their emerald branches, gently brushing the lake's surface, which mirrored the newly awakened world.
Peach blossoms bloomed vibrantly, their red clouds exuding a fragrant aroma.
This was the dawn of the seasons, symbolizing the rebirth of spring.
"What's happening?"
A spring breeze swept through, and the Tengu, witnessing the sudden shift of day and night, were utterly awestruck.
But it wasn't over!
A golden sun blazed high in the sky, dazzling those already disoriented by the shifting cosmos.
The hum of cicadas played the prelude to summer.
In the lotus pond, leaves spread wide, flowers stood tall, and dragonflies skimmed the water, a scene bursting with life.
Boom!
Suddenly, summer rain arrived with a clap of thunder.
Raindrops pelted banana leaves, their crisp patter bringing a cool respite to the sweltering earth.
Next came the crisp golden autumn and the harsh, snow-covered winter.
The cycle of seasons filled Frey's vision, unfolding simultaneously in the same world.
"To achieve something like this?!"
Frey was stunned by the Snow Empress's grand display.
She had only seen such a feat from one being.
The leader of the Ten Great Demon Lords, the Lord of Darkness Guy Crimson!
With his ability to create alternate dimensions, he could craft isolated spaces for majins to battle.
But!
This Great Nature was distinctly different from Guy's alternate dimensions.
The rules, magical elements, matter, and life here were all real.
"Who are you?"
Frey was genuinely shaken by the Snow Empress's power.
As a Demon Lord, her knowledge far surpassed others.
The Snow Empress's ability, beyond its sheer strength, had a depth that sparked countless possibilities in Frey's mind.
Could this ability evolve further?
Undoubtedly, yes.
If such a being existed in the cardinal world, they wouldn't be ignored.
The Snow Empress could only grow stronger.
But if she, already a Demon Lord Seed, advanced further, what would she become?
'An Ultimate Skill…'
Frey knew that True Demon Lords possessed the formidable power known as Ultimate Skills.
If Great Nature evolved further, it would become the Lord of Nature!
A Demon Lord commanding all elements... earth, water, wind, fire... and the cycles of spring, summer, autumn, winter, day, and night…
***
If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)