Vanessa Dracule flew faster than the speed of sound towards Ascalon.
She had felt a familiar presence entering her island. Eravon had gone to the Elder Mountains to meet an old friend and there was no one else in her palace at the moment.
"After 3000 years, she finally decides to show up.", Vanessa muttered under her breath as she broke through the clouds and her fog-filled island came into view.
'But why come now? Is it because of Seventeen?', Vanessa wondered. She wouldn't be surprised that the others had detected the android's presence in this world.
She didn't think that they would do something when that happens. 'Looks like I am not the only one interested in you, instructor Seventeen.', Vanessa thought with a smile and flew towards her island.
She felt another familiar presence approaching the island. It was a huge dragon with grey scales streaked with blue. "Ignis.", Vanessa said as the dragon had noticed her and approached.
Ignis is one of the seven dragon lords. He is the dragon lord of storms, mist, and illusions. He is a majestic and mysterious being with a calm personality.
"Lady Vanessa. I am surprised to see you out of your palace.", Ignis greeted her through telepathy as he bowed his huge head. He had a young and soothing voice, almost enchanting.
Vanessa nodded, "Something caught my interest so I went to have a look."
"I see. I am happy to see you out of the palace.", Ignis said, his massive wings creating powerful gusts of air with each flap.
"It seems like you also felt it.", Vanessa noted. Ignis nodded, "Indeed. How can I forget this presence?", he glanced at the island.
Vanessa nodded her head to the island, "Let's go say hi shall we?"
They broke through the fog surrounding the island and Vanessa's palace came into view.
She floated down to the soft grass and Ignis landed beside her with a powerful gust of wind.
With a pop, the huge dragon changed into his human form, a tall handsome young man with long grey hair that faded to blue, deep blue eyes, and olive skin. He wore a grey business suit with black gloves and shoes.
Vanessa was staring at the handsome dragon. She coughed and looked ahead, "You look pretty good in your human form.", she remarked.
"I consider it a privilege to enchant the beautiful Queen of Vampires.", Ignis said without glancing. He frowned as he looked around the place, "That's odd. I can't feel a presence here."
Vanessa scanned her front yard, "Don't be fooled Ignis. She is here, in fact, she is standing beside that spire.", she pointed at the western side of the palace.
There, leaning on the spire was the silhouette of a woman.
"What is it with that posing? You think you are some sort of shadow guardian?", Vanessa called out to the woman.
"You are always a spoilsport.", the woman replied as she jumped from the top of the palace and landed a few feet from them.
She was a fox demi beast with a tall athletic figure. Her long orange hair faded to pink and then to white at the ends, the same with her fox ears and tail. Her eyes were amber with oval pupils with an orange glow from within.
She had fair skin with faint golden patterns on her arms and legs. She wore orange eyeshadow and her nails were painted with gold.
She was dressed in a white sleeveless shirt with streaks of orange, a light orange scarf wrapped around her neck, white arm covers of lace, white shorts, and high-heeled black sandals. She had an air of confidence and an aura of power similar to Vanessa.
"I am surprised to see you out of your comfort zone. From what I heard, you were here for the last 3000 years.", she said with a mischievous grin.
Vanessa raised her eyebrows, "Says the one who spent 3000 years on an island to the south of Arken."
The demi beast feigned to look hurt, "Hey, I was recovering."
"Indeed. You were the most grievously injured one among us. I even wondered whether you succumbed to your wounds. If it weren't for Eravon telling me and your presence, I would've assumed that.", Vanessa said and smiled, "It's good to see you again, Akira."
Akira Nova, the Queen of Spirits smiled back, "I feel the same, old friend.", she looked at Ignis, recognition dawning on her face.
"Ignis? Is that you? You have grown so much!", she exclaimed as she approached him. The Dragon Lord stepped back as she tried to pat him on the head.
"Please stop it, Queen Akira.", he requested with an embarrassed look. Akira pouted, "What happened. You used to love getting head pats."
"I've grown past that!", Ignis protested.
"Oh I know you Dragon Lords like to get patted when no one is around.", Akira teased him as she continued patting. Despite his protests, Ignis can't help but slightly enjoy the head pats given to him by the Spirit Queen.
Akira turned to Vanessa, "I see you have put down your crown. Makes sense since you are now a myth among vampires. But still.", she examined the Vampire Queen.
"I find it quite funny that the all-powerful Vampire of the Purple Rose is now a short fourteen-year-old girl.", she said with a chuckle.
Vanessa's eye twitched, "Oh don't worry. I am still all-powerful. At least I didn't lose all of my power and had to wait 3000 years for all of it to come back. Didn't you have nine tails? What happened? Going for the minimalist approach?"
Akira gave a smile but one could see that Vanessa had hit a nerve, "It is a bit cumbersome to go around with nine tails, so yeah, it is much easier with one."
Ignis could feel the pressure getting stronger as the two godly beings faced each other. He knows that Akira is a monster who can decimate everything thrown at her and that Vanessa is one of the few who can face her.
Ignis is one of the most powerful dragons in the world but even he cannot hold a candle to these two beings. They are on a whole other level. He doesn't know what to do if these two friends and rivals start fighting now.
Ascalon would be deleted if that happens with significant destruction to Middle Arken.
'Should I call the other Dragon Lords?', he wondered as the pressure from Akira's and Vanessa's presence kept on increasing. Both were glaring at each other with dangerous smiles.
"I wonder if you have grown stronger in such a long time?", Akira asked. "How about we find out?", Vanessa asked back. The island shook and chunks of earth broke off and floated around them, the palace started crumbling as the magia intensity increased.
The barrier around the island pulsed as it struggled to contain the high magia.
The queens then explosively released their presence. Two auras, one golden and the other crimson rushed at each other.
Ignis gritted his teeth as he braced. The island won't survive this. He saw a silhouette of a person appear between the two presences as they met each other. He felt a third presence right in the middle.
He was blown away by the force of the clash. The barrier shattered and the fog dissipated, but then it stopped. Nothing else happened.
Ignis picked himself up and shook his head. he looked at the site where the presences clashed and his eyes widened.
Standing between Vanessa and Akira was Eravon with his arms stretched on both sides, or what used to be his arms. Now they are just blackened husks of charred flesh.
The Immortal Warlock was breathing heavily as he stood in the middle of a circle of blackened grass and earth.
"Looks like I came at the nick of time.", he said with a smile.
"Eravon! What were you thinking?", Vanessa rushed to him as he looked at his hands.
"My. That really packed a punch.", he remarked as his arms healed. He turned to Vanessa, "I had to intervene otherwise both of you will surely destroy Ascalon."
Akira was looking at the Immortal Warlock, "You are as reckless as always, Eravon.", she said with a smile.
"It's good to see you, Queen Akira. I am glad to see you are well. Your injuries were pretty bad back then.", Eravon said with a bow.
Akira's face flustered, "Well, 3000 years is enough to completely heal oneself.", she looked away from the blue eyes of the Immortal Warlock.
"Why are you avoiding me? What happened to the little fox girl who always pestered me to play with her?", Eravon said with a mischievous smile.
The Spirit Queen's face turned red, "Please don't bring that up!", she cried out as Vanessa snickered behind Eravon.
"Wow. Didn't know you were that adorable back then. I would like to hear more stories about that.", she told Eravon.
"You better shut your trap, Vanessa.", Akira warned. "Make me.", Vanessa countered. Both of them glared at each other and the pressure increased again.
"Ladies ladies, let's calm down for a minute.", Eravon assured the two of them and nodded at Ignis. The Dragon Lord understood what he meant and his eyes glowed as he put up a temporary barrier around the island. This one is similar to the original one although not as powerful.
"Again, we don't want to inconvenience people by destroying Ascalon. I figured the two of you would like to test each other's strengths the moment you meet so I had already arranged a place for that."
He snapped his fingers and a rift appeared in front of him. Beyond it was a barren landscape with a grey sky.
"I found a planet with an atmosphere similar to ours in a faraway region in space. I detected no signs of life there so I decided to make it your arena. You guys can duke it out over there without the worry of killing anyone.", Eravon talked like an estate salesman trying to sell a good plot of land or in this case, a whole planet.
He looked at the two queens, "Well?"
Akira and Vanessa looked at the rift and then at each other. The latter sighed, "Well. It doesn't look like we have any other choice.", she nodded, "Alright Eravon."
Eravon clapped his hands happily, "Lovely."
Vanessa turned to Akira, "Let's get this over wit-", she barely managed to finish her sentence when her face was grabbed by Akira and she was thrown into the rift.
"First strike advantage.", Akira called out with a laugh. But it was short-lived as a whip made of blood shot out of the rift and wrapped around her waist.
"Oh shit.", was only what the Fox Goddess managed to say before she was pulled into the rift by the whip at lightning speed. Ignis could already hear the sounds of explosions from beyond the rift.
Eravon sighed in relief, "Thank goodness I came on time. I don't want to know what would've happened otherwise."
Ignis nodded, "Your arrival is fortunate, I was again reminded of the true power of those two.", he said with a shiver.
Eravon smiled and patted him on the back, "Don't worry about it. It is natural for one to feel powerless in the face of even greater power. He nodded to the rift, "Let's go watch the show, shall we?"
Ignis nodded, "Yes. It's been a long time since I watched two Crowns fight."