Melody didn’t have time to answer her question. The exoskeleton covered elf was upon her like that supercharged attack did nothing. The demoness dodged several claws and parried the coming thrust. Attacks were weaved expertly, and Melody narrowly nullified all of them until Luxinna followed her low-kick with a side-kick right from the ground.

Melody blocked the blow, but the force sent her skidding back. Not wasting an opening, Beast Luxinna leapt to the air, smashing down with her entire power. The demoness raised her halberd to tank the drop.

The collision sent dust bellowing as inhuman strength struggled for supremacy. Melody heard the creaked as her forged weapon started bending. Luxinna’s exoskeleton expanded and contracted like a heart, bringing more strength with every cycle. With each oscillation, Melody felt the weight behind the spear rose alarmingly. It was undeniable. The mechanical strength behind that arm was rising to match her. Melody didn’t want to know the total cap in Luxinna’s strength output given how her hand struggled to lift the rapidly deforming halberd. Experience and knowledge taught her she didn’t want to invest much sweat in a competition where she couldn’t see the end goal.

[Burning Asura: Melting Sky]

It was the final evolution of [Burning Asura Sky]. After the group finally nailed Orwell, Melody found herself with enough time as a resource to further improve on her prototypical explosive moves. Now the technique incorporated mass-to-energy conversion to release a controlled explosive energy that could apply to wider scale. Originally, she could turn roughly 3g of blood crystal into a 50-kiloton explosive, but a better grasp of her technique allowed her to graduate from higher mass of different material. She was now up to 45 g. Sure that was a tiny amount but it still a 1000 kiloton.

Melody was no-where good enough to start that level of [Anima Enchanting] on a bigger scale. Her Magical Stat, proficiency, raw initiator and experience won’t allow her to launcher bigger explosion. Hell, even if Mel could throw a nuke, she would blow herself up before even aiming that kind of power.

But 1 Megaton of TNT was still something people shouldn’t laugh about.

The halberd Melody held transformed on the lance of heat and light.

…

The entire base shudder.

…

“What is that?” Cytortia asked in a quaking darkened room of wooden cargo and murky wall.

“Melody drops a nuclear-powered death ray,” Rem coughed as the automatic door to answer open. “Luxinna will probably tank that attack, but it won’t do anyone a favor.”

“Now should we meet our new collaborator.”

…

The cyan light blinked in panic.

It wasn’t expecting this level of conflict. Luckily the last attack was funneled in a control explosion, but it still caused a conical ray which disintegrated 20% of the facility and crippled countless systems. The attack blasted the tunnel from the mustering area, melted the eastern production ring and blew its way to the ocean. If left unattended, this would cause irreparable damage and flooding.

But there are still silver-lining: several aquatic robots were already dispatched to repair the hull and the anti-water wards were perfectly functioning. The facility was badly damaged from a single attack, but the operational analytic was still working. Still, it would be foolish to believe that would be the end. Time to speed the processing and analytic.

Then the sensor connected to the facility detected something incredible. Something was shooting toward the facility through the water at Mach speed. Its artificial intelligence barely believed the truth relay by its sensor. The monster was still alive and somehow launched herself back to the facility at a superhuman speed.

The artificial intelligence automatically deployed the facility barrier. The wall of translucent energy should keep the beast out to suffocate underwater.

However, somehow the malicious program couldn’t help but feel that a barrier wasn’t enough.

…

The barrier kept Beast Luxinna out.

This was partly thanked to the damage from Melody’s all-out attack. It was without a doubt the greatest damage the monstrous being suffered. However, the exoskeleton imprisoning the elf wasn’t something that could be broken with mere megaton. It contained four sophisticate layers. The outermost chitin was a thin, ultrahigh hardness layer impenetrable to most forces. The layer below was the thick fibrous-layer that acted as a tear resistant, high-toughness protection against anything penetrating from the first layer. Serina got to this layer. Melody’s explosion one-upped that attack and reached the third-layer. The third contained a reactive armor similar to Luxinna’s [Guard Flora], using explosive to nullify the impact.

It was the third-layer that successfully blocked lethal damage from Melody, protecting the fourth-layer, which contained life-support and energy reserves. The explosion knocked the monster out of the facility into the cold sea, but it was still kicking. Beast Luxinna, suspended in ocean, healed its damaged armor and electromagnetically rocketed back to the facility with vengeance.

The monstrous slammed into the barrier with the force that sent shock waves rippling throughout the ocean. She landed punch after punch into the translucent shield. She kept the barrage without the need of oxygen, propeling herself using the power of the ionize particle her exoskeleton emitted. The exoskeleton cladded elf disregarded the water pressure or the temperature and continued to wail on the barrier with electricity cladded fist.

Each fist she landed only enraged the entity. Raw punches and claws didn’t generate the force needed to penetrate the barrier. In that frustration the monster felt something bled from the depth of its mind, the image of the girl practicing a technique in a valley. The monster instinctively knew this was the answer.

Luxinna stretched her hand, growing a thick blade of glass. With the weapon grasped in hand, she plunged the glass claymore into the barrier. Super-heated liquid glass swirled in a hyper velocity, super-hot vortex. The glass and barrier met, sending bubbles and sparks rippling across the darkness of water. It took a moment, but the obvious eventually happened.

Golden blades of drilling vortex sank into the shield and wore it down.

…

Inside the mental landscape, Luxinna flew into a rock surface and broke the cliff. Blood trickled down her face as her golden armor crumbled around her. The elf could barely stand, but she propped herself upright despite the red puddle forming from the blood trickling down her body.

Sadly, raw determination didn’t save the elf from her corrupted version flying at her like a torpedo. The collision shook the cliff, sending the dust cloud flying. Luxinna felt the high kick up her chin and the world turn upside down again.

It should be transparent that clearing the trail by combat is impossible.

…

“Whew,” Melody huffed, staring at the massive hole she created with that explosion. It was like watching a tunnel leading to an aquarium. A growing anti-flooding ward separated the facility from the sea water. The demoness internally whistled. Those were decent ward.

Melody realized that attack wasn’t enough. She didn’t know how she arrived at the conclusion, but a depth of her soul realized the fight was too easy. Worst, she finally glued the clue together.

“Hey!” Melody yelled at the group huddling behind her. “Those morons are still alive, right?”

“They are,” Hikma's response was flat and to the point.

“Okay, did our little juggernaut perform anything that broke magical norm?”

“Eh,” Magnolia glanced between the two heroes. “Why are you asking?”

“Kiddo, I got no time to explain,” Melody’s terrible hunch was growing by the second. “Just answer the damn question.”

“Err…”

One girl amongst the crowd waved her hand.

“Go on. Just shouted what she did.”

“Eh, the monster absorbed the Holy Church’s [Sanctification Spire].”

“How?” Melody shouted. “Give me detail.”

“She… grew a bunch of golden flowers from it.”

Lightning flashed through Melody’s brain.

“It can adapt to stimulus,” Melody muttered. “Growth, reproduction, energy production and now adaptation to stimulus, so it is alive. If that thing evolved abilities to photosynthesize holy attribute light, it should be able to adapt to underwater environment.”

It was then the Melody caught sight of a golden star erupting in the distance. Her [Heavenly Eyes] gave her all the information she needed. She took note of the golden sword performing what akin to [Jewel Sword] and arrived at a dreadful theory.

The monster possessing Luxinna was slowly absorbing her skills in combination with its own. It ripped through several 33 Stars and gave her trouble without Luxinna's EAPS and skills. If her power-set got combined with those raw powers, then they would seriously have a severe crisis on hand.

Melody brainstormed several options. Her opponent possessed the ability to produce weapon and protection of near infinite property, adaptation ability against almost any scenario, advances defense that powered through punishment after punishment and abilities to produce near bottomless amount of energy. She needed Hikma’s help to have a chance, but then what? Could they protect the remaining survivors against the mysterious entity while suppressing Luxinna? She doubted the mastermind played all its cards yet.

She couldn’t take any chance. Someone she trust must protect the survivors.

Melody drafted her plan. She must take the rampaging elf off the board and keep her occupied. Oh, she won’t be able to beat the elf without extra help, but she could buy time.

“Chronicler, I am leaving them in your hand,” flames erupted from Melody. “I am going to keep her distract. The rest is on you.”

At that moment a shining light exploded from the translucent barrier and humanoid cladded in glass exoskeleton blasted back into the base. Aquatic drones intercepted her mid-descent only to explode in a flash of gold. The elf punched through the anti-water wards, barely fazed by the rapid transition of water pressure. The golden beast shot toward Luxinna like a golden arrow with the glass blade in hand.

[Dragon Manifestation]

Tower of flames swirled, and a punch cladded in hand covered with black scale hammered the cheap glass blade to smithereen.

…

Magnolia couldn’t believe anything else would surprise after all the shit making up today.

Then she saw her.

Drakokia’s name represented the elf’s glory. The hope to resurfaced to their age of glory led by Mia Alusto. As children of nature, they were superior to all races, and they knew it. It was the example her father displayed to remind the world why the elf — through bloodline, longevity, and history — was fit to rule the Earth alongside the gods. Reality was cruel and choices must be made to secure the need of the many. As the closest to Magic, the Elven race was tasked with overseeing those sacrifices.

But that ‘truth’ crumbled in the flames brighter than sun and the wing of cosmic sky emerging from the curtain of flames.

It was ridiculous. How that one image shattered the basis for every lecture by her father. But that was the truth. How could anyone dare boast their inherent superiority before the wing of cosmos and the aura of primordial star? The scales danced with a twinkling jewel of million encapsulate light. Longevity? Sure, the elf was second only to the gods in lifespan, but they were nothing to the vast galaxies and wide universes. Magnolia got to witness the power she never experience, and it reminded her that despite their accomplishment, they still knew nothing.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

She glanced at the man in the helmet.

“She possesses the might and beauty of a spacefaring dragon. In all aspects, she is the definition of majesty and power, but that inherent beauty is just surface glance at her. I will say her title fits her the most when she strives against someone who truly matches her power.”

Hikma continued as the fires and lightning warped.

“My friend and your sister told me you are the type who use reality to defend your tendency to throw away any ideal in pursue of victory.”

Magnolia wanted to retort, but Hikma’s kindly teacher tone strangled her excuses.

“They believe in the opposite, you know. They see reality as a grindstone to polish themselves and their ideals rather than an excuse to hide behind. They see the impossible situation as an opportunity to grow a way out — the type who solves the trolley problem by derailing the track, or in Empress’ case, beat the problematic trolley to death.”

Boom!

Magnolia attempted to response was interrupted by the blowing wind.

…

Two fists, one covered in glass and another in scale of starry sky, collided and released shock-wave which knocked everything in their proximity on their back.

Beast Luxinna attempted to sweep Melody’s footing with her tail, but the Empress was ready for it. She easily stepped on the glass tails, pinned it to the steel floor, and rained superstrength punches on the armor body. The demoness’ punches were focused and precise, leaving no chance for the entity possessing Luxinna to mount a counter. After eating the thirtieth fist, the beast sprouted spikes over the chitin exoskeleton, but still missed an important spot beneath the chin.

The superpower uppercut blasted the malicious beast to the ceiling where she collided with a bang. Melody rocketed after her, smashing the beast through the ceiling, all while strengthening her own scale with [Anima Enchanting]. With her protection prevented a crippling injury, Melody slamed her fist against the barb armor. The blood trickling from her fist didn’t deter the heroine at all.

Melody followed the punch with a super-strength fist that launched Luxinna past a layer of steel, another flying punch sent her crashing into a maintenance tunnel, one more draconic right hook that drove her into the domed aquarium they were first transport in.

Beast Luxinna fired several shards of glass at Mach speed to stop Melody’s combo, but unlike the actual Luxinna, it lacked experience fighting in mid-air or any 3D maneuvering combat. Melody — who regular dealt with [Assault Flora] — easily evaded the counterattack and grabbed the beast by the tails and tentacles. In homage to an age-old superhero, she spun Luxinna by her tentacles and threw her back into the ground after piling on several decent rotations.

The ground magnificently exploded in dust and metal.

Luxinna blasted back through layers of steel walls, maintenance tunnels and returned to the mustering area in cratering collision — causing Aryssa to trip and the barely awakened Artos Sevar and Sorin Enma to yelp like a panic cheerleader. Melody came crashing down like a fiery comet, flooring Luxinna before the screaming Magnolia. Faster than Amitate could curse, the demoness lifted her by the tail and threw the elf skyward. The exoskeleton cladded elf fired an ion laser down onto Melody, who flew through the beam with her [Aura]. Melody grappled her opponent in mid air and jetted Luxinna to the ground, pile-driving her through the thick steel flooring and into the facility’s storage chamber.

The two tumbled into the storage room and rose again to exchange blows, resulting in several shock-waves that turned the glass and wooden storage cases to kindling. Beast Luxinna landed a slice which glance Melody’s abdomen, but it was a deliberate opening.

The Empress entangled Luxinna’s arm, swept the monster’s leg using her draconic wing, and flipped her flying into the far wall with full-body toss. She then followed suit in a supersonic flight which blasted all surviving breakable containers in the room to smithereens.

Beast Luxinna growled, shooting half a dozen tentacles to intercept Melody's assault, but as mentioned earlier, Melody’s flying experience was way ahead of her. She evaded the first tentacles by the hair-breath, knocked another aside, folded herself into her wing, and performed a flame-cladded barrel roll to slip past the remaining attacks. The demoness closed into Luxinna in a blink and gripped her by the head.

Melody blasted into the far wall of the storage room, dashed the berserker through the metal wall and into the ocean in a collision that rocked the buildings.

[Pyro Lorde]

…

Beast Luxinna felt the cold depth of water again, and with her enhance reflexes, she reoriented herself in times.

Sadly for her, it didn’t matter. A massive, impossible to avoid column of flames surfaced from the underwater depth and plowed into her. The flames carried the beast above the deep. She felt herself breaking the calm sea and the warm glow of the afternoon sun. The berserker fell toward the blue ocean and growled in annoyance.

She slammed into the ocean surface and created a floating platform of glass to carry her on the sea. She glared as her opponent exploded from the water in a tower of foam, unfurling the wing of a wondrous cosmos in all its glory.

Crowned in bones and draconic visage, Melody only had one thing to say.

“Now, it is really one-on-one. Let see who drops first.”