It can speak?
Selene was a little surprised at this moment. Among all the danger beasts she had encountered so far, including powerful ones like Tyrant, most had intelligence comparable to humans at best.
But a danger beasts that could actually speak—this was the first time Selene had encountered such a creature, and it was none other than the legendary Dragon of the Eastern Clouds! No wonder it had survived for at least a millennium as the strongest of its kind.
With a casual flick of her finger, she scattered the dragon's thunderous roar, which was like a sound cannon, and then she gazed towards its location. Now that the black storm clouds had cleared, everyone could see the full appearance of this legendary super danger beasts.
Just as recorded in the World Chronicle, the Dragon of the Eastern Clouds's size was enormous, covering the entire sky and horizon, bathed in a shining white-blue light that was almost blinding under the sun.
Its sheer size was impossible to fathom. The dragon's long body seemed to stretch endlessly into the heavens, covered in silver-white whiskers, and just the two long tendrils hanging from its mouth were hundreds of meters long.
With such an enormous form, it was difficult to imagine how colossal the entire creature must be. Its massive head stopped directly in front of Selene.
The dragon's face had a sinister, fierce beauty to it. Its eyes, glowing with a strange, cold golden-blue light, were slit like a cat's, and its mouth was filled with sharp fangs. On top of its head were two thick, ochre-colored horns, with clusters of blue-white lightning dancing around their tips.
Its four massive limbs, attached to its serpent-like body, pulsed with energy, and every step seemed to make the very air tremble, as storm clouds and winds surged in every direction with each movement. It was impossible to fathom the true extent of its power.
"Human Empress! Why have you come here to disturb this king's rest?! According to the agreement with your ancestor, I do not step foot in your Empire, and you are not to trespass in my domain!"
The colossal Dragon of the Eastern Clouds boomed from the sky.
Hearing this, Selene couldn't help but laugh. This dragon calls itself 'King'? The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, indeed… Such an honest, simple-minded creature, still honoring an agreement made with the First Emperor a thousand years ago.
Selene's scarlet eyes locked onto the massive creature, her lips curling into a slight smile. "Oh, an agreement? You mean the one with the First Emperor, right? Hahaha… You should know by now that agreements are made to be broken."
"Treaties may be law, but strength determines the law. When I am stronger than you, the only reason I don't break the agreement is because I simply haven't bothered to do so yet."
"So... you're here to break the pact?!"
The Dragon of the Eastern Clouds roared again, a sound like thunder cracking through the sky. Massive clouds scattered, revealing the bright blue sky. Even though the Imperial Navy was far from the battle, the roar reverberated in their ears, leaving their heads buzzing and their hearts shaken.
Yet Selene remained unaffected, her voice calm and cold. "Not exactly. I'm here to renegotiate the terms."
"Oh? How do you propose we renegotiate?" the dragon asked warily.
"Submit to me."
"..."
For a moment, there was silence, followed by a thunderous laughter from the Dragon of the Eastern Clouds, its voice shaking the sky. "Human Empress, are you joking?!"
"If you want me to submit, you'll need to prove you're worthy! The reason I agreed to the First Emperor's terms was because we fought for it. Do you think you can surpass your ancestor? Where's that iron monstrosity he used?"
"You'll see it soon enough... but for now, I won't be your opponent."
As Selene finished speaking, she clapped her hands gently.
"Esdeath, I keep my word. It's time for your performance. You have three minutes. Experience this 'natural disaster' for yourself... I believe you'll gain much from this battle."
Boom!
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Esdeath responded immediately.
As the Dragon of the Eastern Clouds seethed with anger at Selene's dismissive attitude, boom—a massive ice ball, over a kilometer in diameter, crashed into the dragon's head with immense force.
Boom—!
Upon impact, the giant ice sphere cracked and exploded into countless fragments, scattering ice chunks high into the sky.
"RRRAAAWWRRR—!!" The Dragon of the Eastern Clouds let out a deafening roar, but it wasn't out of pain—it was sheer humiliation! This tiny being dared to interfere while it was speaking to the Empress?
Looking down at the small blue figure of Esdeath, the dragon's sense of insult and fury finally boiled over.
"I'll kill you!!"
With a bellow that shook the atmosphere itself, the dragon's massive form surged with power. The sea below began to quake violently as massive waves were conjured by the force of its fury.
"Truly formidable…"
Esdeath frowned as she realized her earlier attack hadn't even scratched the dragon's scales. Its defenses were so strong that even if she used her full power and activated the hidden ability of her Imperial Arm, Demon's Extract, it wouldn't make a difference.
Her ultimate move, Mahāpadma, could freeze space and time for a brief moment, but she lacked the strength to penetrate the dragon's hide. Defeating it was far beyond her current abilities.
As for her Ice Cavalry General, it was designed for large-scale battles against weaker enemies, not for combat against a god-like super danger beasts like the Dragon of the Eastern Clouds.
Boom!
A bolt of lightning struck Esdeath, sending her crashing deep into the ocean, splashing massive waves into the air.
"Cough... If it wasn't for this crystal, I might've been gravely injured," Esdeath muttered, standing atop the frozen sea, drenched from head to toe, her hand resting on the purple-red crystal embedded in her collar, which glowed faintly with protective energy.
Boom! Boom!
More thunder echoed from the heavens.
Looking up, Esdeath saw that the skies were now filled with booming thunderclouds. The Dragon of the Eastern Clouds's horns crackled with lightning, its eyes glowing a blinding blue-white.
Above its head, lightning coiled and gathered, forming a massive ball of plasma, beautiful yet deadly, making the dragon look like a god of thunder from ancient myths.
Esdeath couldn't help but laugh bitterly at her own earlier excitement after reading about the dragon in the World Chronicle. She had been too naive, believing she could hunt it...
Now, Esdeath finally understood how powerless she was. She was lucky to have crossed paths with Selene all those years ago.
While her strength was considerable in the Empire and among humans, she was still just mortal—powerful, yes, but still human. Against this near-divine entity, she was nothing.
But Selene had promised her eternal life, the Herrscher of Ice, battles in other worlds, and the glory of conquest. Esdeath's heart blazed with fervor. One day, she would surpass this dragon!
"Die, insect!" The Dragon of the Eastern Clouds roared, unleashing the thousand-meter-wide plasma ball, which descended toward Esdeath with unstoppable force.
"Freeze!"
Taking a deep breath, Esdeath remained calm, knowing that Selene would save her. She didn't dodge; instead, she pushed her body to the limit, summoning every ounce of her freezing power.
Crack—crack—!
In the blink of an eye, the ocean beneath her froze solid. Blue ice spikes shot upward, forming mountain-like barriers to protect her.
But it wasn't enough.
Boom!
The plasma ball crashed into the ice mountains with immense force, shattering them into millions of pieces. Even as Esdeath tried to reform the ice, she could barely keep up with the destruction. She was being utterly overwhelmed.
Boom! Boom!
Thunder rumbled again, and the plasma ball exploded violently on the ice field, melting everything in its path.
...
"Storm incoming!" a desperate voice called out.
The battlefield between ice and thunder was vast, with violent winds swirling everywhere. The Imperial Navy's warships, caught in the chaos, creaked and groaned under the immense pressure, with planks of wood being torn away by the fierce winds.
"Hm?" Selene glanced at the struggling fleet and shook her head. What a hassle.
Although she found the situation troublesome, she cast a Virtual Barrier over the ships, protecting them from the collateral damage. After all, these soldiers had sworn loyalty to her. Losing an entire fleet to mere shockwaves was wasteful.
Even on a battlefield, soldiers could be better utilized than being wiped out in such a futile manner.
On the flagship, Admiral Wilson and Wave stood at the edge of the deck, staring down in awe at the ongoing battle between ice and lightning that seemed to cover their entire field of vision.
"Is this... the power of true strength?" Wave muttered under his breath, completely in shock.
After witnessing the destruction caused by Esdeath and the Dragon of the Eastern Clouds, Wave finally understood how insignificant he had been. The destruction described in legends—the ability to destroy a city in one blow—was not just a myth.
"Admiral Wilson, look! Esdeath is struggling... Doesn't Her Majesty care that Esdeath is about to lose?" Wave asked quietly, looking at his mentor, Admiral Wilson.
"Watch your words, Wave. Her Majesty's decisions are beyond our comprehension... Just watch carefully," Wilson said calmly, leaning against the railing. "You might be serving in the capital one day."
The crater outside the southern suburbs of the capital was proof of Selene's terrifying power—Wilson had witnessed it first-hand.
"I understand," Wave nodded.
"Well, it seems Esdeath can't hold on anymore. It's only been… less than a minute, hasn't it?" Selene mused.
They were over the ocean, and Esdeath's Demon's Extract allowed her to manipulate ice more easily in such an environment. Still, it seemed like she couldn't even last three minutes against the Dragon of the Eastern Clouds.
Selene sighed. This battle is clearly beyond her capabilities. Oh well, I'll step in.
Muttering to herself, Selene raised her right hand toward Esdeath, who was struggling on the ice. "Space Transfer."
At that moment, on the ice field:
Crack—
The ice beneath Esdeath's feet shattered once more as she held up the collapsing ice mountains with all her might. Drenched in sweat and seawater, she gasped for breath.
"I'm… at my limit… I can't even withstand one attack, can I?" she muttered.
As the plasma ball descended upon her, a gigantic purple portal, lined with electric circuits, appeared before her, swallowing the plasma entirely without a trace.
"Alright, Esdeath, come back now," Selene's voice echoed in Esdeath's ears.
In an instant, Esdeath's vision blurred, and the next moment, she found herself standing beside Selene. As soon as she saw Selene, the exhausted Esdeath collapsed.
"Alyssa, take care of Esdeath," Selene ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Alyssa responded, gently lifting Esdeath and carrying her aside.
"And now… it's my turn."
Turning around, Selene's scarlet eyes locked onto the colossal figure of the Dragon of the Eastern Clouds once more.
"ROARRRR!!"
With a deafening roar that seemed to shake the entire world, the dragon charged at Selene, its body glowing with crackling blue-white lightning. The air around it shimmered with the heat and energy of its power.
The dragon moved so fast, it seemed to flicker in and out of existence, its immense form surging forward, leaving behind arcs of bright electricity.
Even from thousands of meters away, Selene could smell the sharp tang of ozone in the air.
Virtual Claw!
Frowning, Selene raised her right hand, unleashing the full power of her virtual dimension. A massive, purple-red energy claw materialized, expanding to a size even larger than the dragon's head in an instant.
"Impossible?!"
The dragon's eyes widened in shock as the virtual claw clamped down on its neck and head, squeezing its massive form as if it were a mere insect.
Crack—!
With the sickening sound of scales breaking and flesh tearing, the claw crushed the connection between the dragon's head and body. Blood and scales erupted from the wound, splattering across the ice field as crimson blood poured from the dragon's neck.
"ROOOOARR—!!" The dragon's cry, once mighty and fierce, now grew weak as its vitality drained away.
Selene's icy voice rang out, "I'll ask again—will you submit, or will you die?"