Leopoldine, still reeling from the near-miss of the flames, barely had time to react. She let out a surprised yelp as Esato lunged at her. But Leopoldine, with a smirk and quick reflexes, managed to dart out of the way, dodging Esato's attack. Noelle was watching, her eyes wide in concern. She was worried about Esato, worried about the damage she might do in her enraged state.

Esato's missed lunge made her stumble, but she immediately caught herself and spun around, her eyes locked on Leopoldine. The rage within her was a living thing, making her limbs tremble and her breaths heavy. She was like a wild animal, her mind consumed by anger and the need to act.

Noelle, her voice urgent and tense, called out yet again, "Esato, you need to stop! This isn't the way to handle this!”

Esato's ears were deaf to reason. All she could see was Leopoldine, her mocking smirk, and the Connexus still clutched tightly in her hand. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as her fingers curled into tight fists. She lunged again, this time her movements were more calculated.

Leopoldine watched with a cool eye, her smirk replaced with a slight frown. She hadn't expected Esato's uncontrolled rage, and the sheer ferocity of her attack was beginning to unnerve her.

She stepped back, avoiding Esato's lunge, her movements more cautious now. She looked from Esato, feral and enraged, to the others, who were watching with a mix of fear, concern, and helplessness.

Esato's third lunge, though close, missed Leopoldine once again. But even in the miss, the message was clear. Esato was out for blood, her movements fueled by unbridled fury.

Noelle and the others were torn - they wanted to stop Esato, yet they knew they couldn't risk hurting Alice. Leopoldine, seeing the dilemma, smirked once more, her confidence returning.

Leopoldine, keeping a safe distance, chuckled, her tone mocking. "Oh, you're quite the little hellion, aren't you, Esato? But that rage...it's making you quite predictable. You're like a wild beast, all power and no control~”

Esato's only response was a low growl. Her patience had worn thin, her mind clouded with anger and the need for revenge. Leopoldine's words only fueled the fire within her, making her lunging attacks more aggressive.

Leopoldine, despite her earlier confidence, was starting to look a shade rattled. Esato's onslaught was relentless, her lunges increasingly powerful and precise. Leopoldine couldn't keep up her mocking demeanor, the fear of what this enraged beast could do creeping steadily under her skin.

The others could see the mounting tension in both Esato and Leopoldine. They were locked in a deadly dance, Esato's rage feeding her strength while Leopoldine's confidence was crumbling.

Noelle, torn between wanting to stop Esato and wanting to help her, called out desperately, "Esato, please! You need to calm down! This isn't like you!”

Esato, in a rage fueled frenzy, heard only the sound of her own labored breathing and the pounding of her heart. She was singularly focused on Leopoldine, ignoring everything else. The others became a blur in her periphery, their words lost in the roar of her anger.

Leopoldine, her confidence gone, was now fully on the defensive. She darted to one side and then the other, her movements desperate and lacking their earlier grace. Esato, relentless as ever, pursued doggedly, her rage making her blind to anything but Leopoldine and the need to bring her down.

Leopoldine, her face now filled with fear, made a mistake in her desperate attempts to escape. She miscalculated the distance to the wall, and Esato, her reflexes heightened by her anger, seized the opportunity to grab Leopoldine's arm.

Leopoldine let out a sharp cry as her arm was seized in Esato's vice-like grip. She twisted and turned, trying to free herself, but Esato's grip was like iron. Fear and desperation filled Leopoldine's eyes as she began to realize the true extent of Esato's anger.

Esato, seeing the fear in Leopoldine's eyes, felt a savage satisfaction. The sight of her panicked expressions, the sound of her desperate cries - it all fueled the flame of her fury. She pulled Leopoldine closer, her grip tightening. Her face was mere inches from Leopoldine's.

Leopoldine, her heart pounding in her chest, was truly terrified. She could see the wild, enraged gleam in Esato's reptilian-like eyes, and could feel the power and strength in her grip. She had pushed Esato too far, and now she was paying the price. She struggled desperately, trying to break free, her voice hoarse with fear. "Let go...please...!”

Esato, her voice a low, dangerous growl, answered, her eyes fixed on Leopoldine's. "No. You wanted this. You pushed and provoked. Now you'll pay for it."

Leopoldine's eyes widened, the terror in them growing even more. She tried to plead with Esato, her voice desperate. "No, please...I didn't mean it...I was just playing...!”

Esato's grip tightened, her words a venomous hiss. "Playing? You call taking my friend and taunting me 'playing'? You have a twisted sense of fun, Leopoldine."

Leopoldine, her arm nearly numb from Esato's grip, was on the verge of panicking. She could see the others watching, their faces a mix of concern and helplessness.

Leopoldine's voice, hoarse with fear, trembled. "Please...have mercy...I apologize...I was wrong..."

Esato, her anger still coursing through her, sneered. "Mercy? You think you deserve mercy? You took my friend, you caused her pain. Why should I show you mercy?”

Leopoldine's thoughts swirled in her head, her fear mounting. She had never been in such a position before. Esato, the once reserved yet fiery dragon girl, looked ready to end her right there. The Connexus in Leopoldine's hand began to crackle softly, reacting to the tension and her fearful thoughts.

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Esato's eyes flicked momentarily to the Connexus in Leopoldine's hand, the subtle crackle not lost on her. Her grip on Leopoldine's arm remained firm as she spoke, her voice a low rumble.

"What is that you're clutching so tightly? The Connexus...?”

Leopoldine's eyes widened in fear, her hand gripping the Connexus even tighter. "Please...no...it's...it's nothing..."

Esato's expression darkened, her eyes narrowing. She squeezed Leopoldine's arm more firmly, causing her to wince in pain. "Nothing, huh? Then why are you so protective of it? Why won't you let go of it even now?”

Leopoldine was on the edge of hysteria, her voice a panicked squeak. "I can't...I...it's important...it's mine...."

Esato sneered, her voice full of mockery. "Oh, it's important to you, is it? More important than my friend's life? More important than the pain you've caused?”

Leopoldine's heart was in her throat, her mind racing. She knew the others were watching, could hear their shocked gasps, but none of them could stop Esato.

She tried to speak, to find words that would sway Esato's furious mind, but all she could manage were terrified gasps. The Connexus in her hand began to crackle louder, its power building alongside her fear and tension.

Esato, noticing the increased activity of the Connexus, looked down at it, her gaze hardening. "Whatever that...thing is, it's reacting to your fear. And I can tell it's growing more powerful."

Leopoldine's face paled even more, her grip on the Connexus tightening uncontrollably. She tried to speak, to deny it, but no words could form through her terror.

Esato's grip on Leopoldine's arm was almost crushing. She was caught between her fury and curiosity about the Connexus, her gaze shifting between it and Leopoldine's pale, terrified face. Her voice, a mixture of anger and intrigue, was quieter now. "What exactly IS that thing, Leopoldine? And what will happen if it reaches its full power?”

Leopoldine's voice was little more than a shaky whisper. "It's...it's a relic...a powerful one..."

Esato's eyes narrowed, her anger replaced with suspicion. "A relic? What kind of relic, and why are you so protective of it?"

Leopoldine swallowed hard, her body trembling in Esato's grip. She knew she had to answer, but the words were stuck in her throat, choked back by fear.

Esato's impatience grew at Leopoldine's silence. She could see the others watching helplessly, and could feel Leopoldine's desperation. She squeezed Leopoldine's arm even more, causing her to let out a whimper.

Esato's voice was a low growl. "I asked you a question, Leopoldine. What sort of relic is that, and why do you need it so desperately?”

Leopoldine's voice was barely audible, her words tumbling out of her in a trembling rush. "O-okay, very well...It...it's my Connexus…”

Esato's eyebrows shot up in surprise, the anger in her voice sharpening. "Knew it. Now, either you free Alice from her current state or I will maul you.”

The group watched as Alice's body writhed under the intensity of the sensations, her expression now one of pure bliss. Esato couldn't take the sight anymore and slammed Leopoldine onto the hard volcanic floor, her hackles raised as she pushed her down by her shoulders.

Leopoldine let out a shriek of surprise, the Connexus tumbling from her hands. Noelle quickly scooped it up, her eyes scanning the device. Zalgo's face was a mask of horror as she watched Esato pinning Leopoldine to the ground.

"Esato, stop! You're going to hurt her-" Noelle screamed.

But Esato was beyond listening, her rage and concern for Alice pushing all reasoning aside.

Esato bared her teeth as she pressed Leopoldine into the ground, her claws just a breath away from digging into the woman's skin. "Turn. It. Off."

Leopoldine was struggling, her face already reddening under Esato's grip. "You...you're overreacting-"

"Overreacting!?" Esato snapped, her voice filled with venom. "You've just put Alice through who knows what and you think I'm overreacting?!”

"It's just a little enhancement, dear, nothing harmful-"

Esato cut her off with a low snarl, her grip on Leopoldine tightening. "It's more than that and you know it. It's manipulation, it's wrong!"

Noelle was still observing the Connexus, her eyes skimming over the intricate details. Rachel was watching the scene unfold, torn between wanting to intervene and fearing Esato's reaction.

Leopoldine grunted under Esato's weight, her face starting to turn purple. "It's...beneficial," she gasped out. "It helps...connect."

Esato's face contorted with rage. "Connect? Is that what you call what you did? It was violating, it was-"

Suddenly, the sound of Alice's voice cut through the tension.

"Esato...stop.”

Esato's snarl instantly died in her throat, her attention shifting to the source of the voice. Alice had pushed herself up, her body still shaking but her eyes clear. Her expression was a mix of pain and determination, and when she spoke again, her voice was hoarse but firm.

"Let her go.”

Esato turned her gaze from Leopoldine to Alice, her anger replaced by concern. "But...after what she did-"

"I'm okay," Alice said, her voice shaky but steady. "Let her go, Esato. Please."

Esato's grip loosened slightly, her body visibly trembling with pent-up rage. However, her gaze remained hard as she looked back at Leopoldine, silently warning her to stay put.

Leopoldine slowly stood up, straightening herself out with a huff. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair disheveled, thanks to Esato's roughness, but she wasn't deterred.

"You are quite the possessive one, aren't you?” she said, shooting Esato a snide look.

Esato bristled, her hackles raised at the comment.

"I'm not possessive," she snapped. "I just don't like it when people hurt those I care about."

Leopoldine rolled her eyes, dusting herself off. "Oh, please. I was hardly hurting her. It was just a little enhancement, completely harmless.”

Esato's growl deepened, her eyes narrowing. "Harmless? Is that what you call a mind-altering experience? It was invasive, wrong-"

Leopoldine cut her off, her voice filled with cold amusement. "Invasive? Why, I think our dear Alice enjoyed it. Didn't you, dear?”

All eyes turned to Alice, who had been silently observing the exchange. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her body still trembling, making it difficult to tell if it was from discomfort or...something else.

When she spoke, her voice was soft but clear. "It...it was intense. But..."

Leopoldine's smirk widened, sensing an opening. "But what, dear? Don't be shy now.”

Alice swallowed hard, her eyes flickering from Leopoldine to Esato. "But...it was also..."

She couldn't finish her sentence, her words getting stuck in her throat. The intensity of the sensations still lingered in her mind, making it hard to think straight.

Leopoldine leaned in, her voice a low purr. "Pleasurable, wasn't it? A new world of sensations, just at the touch of a button.”

Esato bristled at that, her anger flaring again.

"It was manipulation, that's what it was. You made Alice feel things against her will, just so you could get some kind of sick pleasure out of it."

Leopoldine's grin turned wolfish at that. "Oh, don't pretend you don't understand the allure, my dear Esato. You're very much a part of the world of intimacy, aren't you?”

Esato growled, her claws digging into her palms in an attempt to control her temper. "That's different," she snapped. "I don't use my powers to manipulate others, to twist their feelings for my own pleasure."

Leopoldine chuckled, her gaze still fixed on Esato. "Oh, but don't you? You're a predator at heart, dear. You use your charm and your...skills, let's say, to get what you want. How is that any different?”

Esato's eyes flashed dangerously, her body tensing at the implication. But before she could retort, Alice spoke up again. Her face was flushed, her fingers digging into the couch fabric, but her voice was steady.

"Stop it. Both of you."

The group turned to her, surprised by the authoritative note in her voice. "This...arguing isn't helping anything," she said, looking from Esato to Leopoldine. "We need to focus on the real problem."

Noelle nodded, her gaze flickering to the Connexus in her hands.