Why, when a Monster Girl attempted to go over her limit, did she have to do it in a flashy way?

The phenomenon her transformation invoked was naturally eye-catching, but it was not that it could not be concealed, especially during the time of extreme danger. Though a careful examination would suffice, a chaotic battle left no time for such deliberation.

Every decision had to be made instantly, or one risked losing their advantage and fell from the blade of their enemies.

Iona didn't choose to kill the Monster Girls close to Flamira because she feared Flamira would go berserk; she took advantage of their great distance and assassinated the Monster Girls far away, probing Flamira's personality, trying to break her conviction.

Even with Juin's locusts, Iona still didn't clash with Flamira, who had just left the Puppeteer Legacy Ground, the place whose history surpassed the imperial family of the Subterranean Domain.

There might be an unknown artefact that could severely injure her. It was safer to grind down the defence instead of trying to shatter them in one strike.

Everything was going so well until Flamira snapped. Her demeanour changed, filled with endless dullness, monotony. Her movement returned with a hint of grace, the grace which reminded Iona of the Divine. These were the majesty of the truly powerful, the dictator of the world, the manipulator of the general trend.

Where did all those despairs go? Where did all those uncertainties go?

How can you overcome the impossible odds? How will you?

No! I refuse to believe it!

The anger and jealousy erupted. Iona swept her gaze past the few remaining Monster Girls. Besides Flamira, the notable Monster Girls were few and far, but most of them weren't enough to be the source of hope.

Only two of them had the chance to create a miracle.

Iona disregarded Artium and Serinda and turned her attention to Kurion and Noviscar. She ruled out Kurion, for a Dark Elemental was harder to kill in one strike than a Plant Girl.

If these are your hope, Flamira, I'll show you what true despair is!

Iona sprinted towards the white lotus and swiped down her claws. The delicate petals ripped into pieces, but there was no one inside the white lotus. It was a mere distraction!

Though Serinda and Artium lacked strength, strength was not the only factor in the battle. When Flamira attracted all attention, she did so with her faith placed on her sisters, on Serinda and Artium.

By playing up the scene, Flamira took all the pressures, not just for Kurion and Noviscar to attempt their ascension but also for Serinda and Artium to prepare. Even if their preparation would only result in an instant gained, it would be precious beyond all worth.

Serinda was a Shadow Snake Girl, her power complementary to Kurion. Artium was a Dreamflower Girl, her power complementary to Noviscar. When Kurion and Noviscar concentrated on their ascension, they let their two little friends protect them.

With the power of shadow and illusion, Artium and Serinda secretly took out Kurion and Noviscar, concealing their auras with the help of darkness, moving them with the help of nature. As a result, the two magical shells became empty fronts, a mere distraction.

Of course, this veil of deception was incomparably thin, too thin to deceive Iona if she were to examine closely. That was when Flamira came in. With her mysterious Flourishing Sword Nature, she fought against Juin and Iona, keeping their attention occupied. Especially her sudden shift in demeanour, which agitated the two Dwellers into rash decisions.

"These two insects!" Iona locked her gaze on Serinda and Artium. "I'll kill you, and I'll skin you ali—"

Iona shivered as a massive threat descended onto her heart. She spun to her side with both of her claws up. Flamira arched her arm and flung the Flourishing Nature Sword at Iona. It pierced through the air, generating multiple green currents, creating a storm of leaves and petals.

The speed of the strike crackled the air. It sounded like wicked laughter.

Faster than the speed of thought, Iona tensed her arms. Her bloodlust ruptured, turning her carapace crimson, flooding the surrounding with bloody stench. As the Flourishing Nature Sword approached her, she struck her claws at it, gripping its tip.

The metallic claws trembled as the momentum of the sword forced Iona backwards, cracking her carapace. The pain jolted her mind. Her blood boiled. A crazy smile crept onto her face as she pushed her palms forwards, letting the blade stab through her flesh.

Her fingers clutched onto the Flourishing Nature Sword, exerting their strength to the fullest. Iona gritted her teeth until her head was trembling, and then the sword shattered, exploding in a wave of green light, forming a gigantic pillar that pierced the ceiling. It dispersed into countless sparkles like stars in the moonless night.

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Iona widened her eyes as she looked at her hands, feeling the numbness spreading from her wounds to her arms. The ethereal grasses which occupied her flesh gradually devoured her skin, but a thought from her head was enough to suppress and repel it.

This power . . . why is it so weak?

Iona furrowed her brows and looked at Flamira, who was smiling.

“What is the meaning of this?" Iona said. "Why is your sword so weak? Are you insulting me?"

Flamira swung her burning chains at the locusts and giggled. Her hoarse yet high-pitch voice echoed throughout the pit, draining the enthusiasm within the battlefield. The chill permeated her silhouette, tainting the world with the dullness that stagnated time and numbed emotions.

"I did what you did to me." Flamira covered her mouth with her left hand, her right hand creating a new Flourishing Nature Sword. "You want to enjoy this battle, and I'm going to deprive you of that enjoyment. I'll show you how fun it could be, but you'll never get to experience it."

"What?" Iona stared at Flamira. "Do you think you can do whatever you want, just because I want to play around? Even if you don't want to show me your power, I'll force!"

Iona ran away from Flamira and rushed towards Serinda, who was standing beside Artium. The two Monster Girls nodded at each other and channelled their spells. Countless shadowy hands emerged around them as a flood of pink mists engulfed their surroundings, creating an artificial domain made of illusions and colours.

Still, the power of the Transformation Phase could not reach the might of the Dweller. Iona casually stepped inside Flowerful Garden Battlefield Spell, dancing around the sharp vines and thorned flowers, moving between the black arms of the Shadow Thread Finger. These were the two most powerful Serinda and Artium could cast, yet it merely meant inconvenience to Iona.

Seeing the situation, Flamira didn't panic. She arched her mechanical wings and violently flapped them. Streaks of lightning jumped into the air. Power of destruction spread across the pit. It burnt the locusts and the straying Walkers, shocking most into immobility.

Though Juin was minimally affected, he didn't dare to get close to Flamira. He let her head towards Iona while he replenished his locusts. He had not used his strongest trump cards, but he also didn't want to use them right now. It was too early for that.

Without anyone to obstruct her, Flamira went to Iona, raised her Flourish Nature Sword, and swung it towards the ground. The blade stabbed into the pink mists, creating a crack from which mutated vines and flesh-eating plants sprung. They rapidly covered the area of the Flowerful Garden Battlefield Spell, surrounding Iona.

"Aren't you going to deprive me of the excitement?" Iona said. "Let's see whether my enjoyment or their lives are of greater value."

Placing her hands on her chest, Iona closed her eyes and focused. The world slowed down as her heartbeat progressively got louder. She intensely listened to the tone of the world, sensing everything that surrounded her. Each muffled noise of the vines crawling, flowers swaying, winds breezing, all could not escape her perception.

When the feeling reached its climax, she reopened her eyes, which had turned blood red. The aura around her retracted into herself, yet her silhouette remained imposing, even bloodier than before.

Flamira didn't respond to the taunt. She waved her hands. Vines and flowers attacked Iona. Without any hesitation, Flamira turned around and sent her chains towards Juin, fighting off the approaching locusts.

Seeing Flamira's nonchalant action, Iona felt like screaming until her voice burst Flamira's eardrums, but she held back. The boiling hatred inside her fueled her mind. Her crimson claws pierced through a vine which launched towards her left eye. She grabbed it and yanked it forwards, pulling out the root.

Her crimson carapace glowed bright red as vein-like lines manifested on her body. They crept onto the vine and spread around. Throbbing, the veins grew bigger, exuding a rotten, metallic stench. They transformed the pink illusionary mists into a bloody landscape, consuming all dreamy trees and fleeting flowers.

Even the shadowy hands got burnt away as the red light illuminated the surrounding, getting rid of the shadow and darkness.

"Flamira, look at me!" Iona smirked. "I'll take those two's heads!"

The instant her voice fell, Iona slashed at the space and tore it open. The fabric of reality cracked and collapsed onto each other, shortening some distance while enlarging others.

With her heightened perception, Iona stepped through the gaps and arrived in between Serinda and Artium. Both of her claws hovered beside their necks.

Flamira trembled as she disregarded her safety and flew towards Iona, but the folds in space magnified her distance between her and Iona by tens of times. No matter how fast she accelerated, she could not reach Serinda and Artium.

"This is it, the hopelessness I've been waiting for!" Iona swiped her claws at Serinda and Artium.

A pair of hands manifested, each blocking the swing, each of different bodies. Kurion and Noviscar appeared beside Serinda and Artium, hugging their delicate bodies in one hand, grabbing the claw in another.

"You're too daring, Serinda," Kurion said. "If I'm just a little later, your life might get snuffed out before you could enjoy this moment of triumph."

"I trust you, Sister Kurion," Serinda said. "If I can't do this, how can I catch up with her?"

"You don't need to catch up with her." Kurion turned to Iona, who had turned stiff. "You just need to be cute and let others protect you. I will protect you."

Iona didn't dare to move, for she was so close to two Condensation Phase Monster Girls. Even if they had just ascended and had not consolidated their new power, they were still terrifying to fight against, especially two furious Monster Girls who almost lost their friends.

Not just Kurion, but Noviscar also glanced at Iona, saying nothing. She and Artium did not talk, but their bodies remained touched, unwilling to part. Sometimes, just warmth could exchange more meanings than words ever could.

"Help me, Juin!" Iona stepped backwards, retreating into the folds of space.

She decisively sacrificed her claws, overloading them until they burst in a bloody explosion. The pulsating veins in the surrounding also shattered into a mist of blood, obscuring her appearance, giving her a precious second to flee.

In an instant, Iona appeared beside Juin. Her mutilated arms were dripping with green blood, trembling, shivering. The two didn't say anything, though they gradually retreated, moving away from Flamira, from Kurion and Noviscar.

At a certain distance, they broke into a sprint and disappeared into the lower Layers, abandoning all the suppressed Mutators and Walkers, running for their lives.

Strangely, Kurion and Noviscar did not give chase. The two merely looked at Flamira, who smiled wryly.