"This beast, it is-" Velian couldn't believe what he was seeing, as his appraisal doesn't let down him this time.
He knew in front of him was a heavenly being, that is equally powerful to the dragon that, he met in the forest and he didn't have any idea how Valerie possessed something like that.
"Surprised? This is the beast that helped our ancestors," She said, but she quickly corrected her words.
"To be precise, our ancestor helped this beast, and ever since then it had been serving the royal bloodline of hero," Velian knew he was in a pinch right now.
He could take White other and Valerie separately, but together, it was impossible for him.
"You are a real pain in the ass," Velian clicked his tongue and decided to do his best, but suddenly his daughter Aurora, decided to help her father by attacking the white other with her dragon breath.
"Aurora! Don't do it, fall back, you can't beat it right now, it is powerful just like other dragons," Velian shouted, but before he could go there, Valerie suddenly attacked Velian causing him to block her while looking at his daughter.
"You have some really good confidence to worry about others when you're in this pinch, right?"
Velian grimaced as Valerie's blade grazed his cheek, leaving a thin cut that oozed crimson droplets. He touched the wound with his fingertips, feeling the sting, and a surge of anger welled up within him. His eyes narrowed, his muscles tensed, and a fierce determination etched across his face.
"Enough!" he growled, his voice laced with a mixture of frustration and fury. "You think you can play with my weaknesses? You think you know me so well?"
Valerie's lips curled into a knowing smile, her eyes glinting with a mischievous spark. "Oh, Velian, I know you better than you think. And that's exactly why I struck where it hurts."
"Accept it and surrender, and I will ask white other to not kill your pet,"
At that moment, Velian's mind raced with a torrent of thoughts. He had always prided himself on his ability to protect others, to put their safety before his own. But now, his daughter had revealed a truthful situation, he didn't want to face—that his concern for others had become a vulnerability. It was a revelation that stung deeper than the cut on his face.
Without another word, Velian lunged forward, his movements fueled by a mixture of determination and anger. His blade clashed against Valerie's, the clash of steel ringing through the air. Each strike was infused with his frustration, and his desire to prove his strength and independence.
As they danced in a deadly waltz, Velian's attacks became more ferocious and precise. He aimed for Valerie's weak points, mirroring her strategy. Blow after blow, they exchanged slashes and parries, their weapons a blur of lethal grace. But beneath the fury, there was a flicker of something else—a deeper connection that bound them together as a family.
Valerie met his attacks with an agility that matched his own, her smile never wavering. She knew that by pushing him to the edge, she had ignited a fire within him—a fire that burned away any semblance of doubt or hesitation.
Their clash continued, each strike resonating with a symphony of steel. The battlefield around them seemed to fade away as they focused solely on each other, locked in a battle that transcended physicality. It was a battle of wills, a clash between two stubborn souls who understood each other better than anyone else ever could.
Valerie, who didn't want to let her bloodline die, and Velian who wanted to protect his current life.
Both of them understood that they were quite similar.
As sweat trickled down Velian's brow, mingling with the blood from his cut, a realization began to dawn on him.
"You are not human, are you? What are you? Another demon?" Velian asked, but Valerie showed a disgusted look on her face, as soon as she heard those words.
"Don't compare me with those vile beings, I'm a pure human, to be exact, a transcendental human," Velian's eyes opened wide, as he realised why she was so hard to deal with.
'So she was the same as me?'
[Master, we don't have the power to deal with another superior human, I advise you to leave this battle and fall back]
Suddenly Velian heard the words of the silent Luna, who was waiting for this situation and to confirm Valeire's race.
Meanwhile, Aurora came across a majestic figure. It was a heavenly white tiger, a creature so magnificent that it radiated power with every stride. Its immense size, easily ten times that of Aurora, cast a shadow over the young dragon.
Aurora gazed up at the towering feline, her heart pounding with a mix of awe and trepidation. "Please stop attacking my papa!"
With an innocent voice, she said those words, but the white tiger didn't look sympathetic enough to listen to a little girl when her pact with the hero still stood.
The tiger's voice rumbled with a deep resonance, reflecting wisdom that surpassed Aurora's tender age. "I am known as White other, the Heavenly Guardian of the Dukas heroic bloodline. And you, little one, are an intriguing sight indeed. What brings you to this?"
He paused for a minute and looked at Velian and confirmed that he was a human.
"Why are you calling Father to that human? Don't embarrass your race,"
The white other knew dragons were quite powerful, but at the same time, he knew few beings could challenge these dragons, that she still hiring in the great calamity forest because of how much they dislike to fight.
"I will fight you, if you harm him," Aurora didn't listen and she just said whatever she wanted, but the tiger wasn't going to take forever when he knows, his pact master was in danger.
White other's whiskers twitched, his expression a mix of intrigue and scepticism. "A bold claim, little one. But words alone cannot change the fundamental difference in our strengths. Are you truly prepared to face the trials that lie ahead?"
