CLAAASH!
A thunderous strike hit the barrier of Charlotte's vessel, as damage was clearly visible over it. Even when it was reduced to 70%, the damage was still there. The lightning began to slowly chip away the ship into pieces.
CLAAASH!
"Come out!" Her father roared once more.
CLAAASH!
"You can't keep up running away from me!" He roared once more.
CLAAASH!
"You coward! You rat!" He roared a third time.
CLAAASH!
As Charlotte felt cornered, she suddenly grew desperate. She was able to conjure Water Magic since she was a child and was rather proficient at it. But even now, she felt doubtful of her own magic itself, even after growing this strong, and even after receiving all this help.
Even when she has the help of Drake's creations, she didn't dared to use them as she didn't wanted to bother him, especially in such a harsh trial as the one he might be facing. However, the slime accompanying her quickly acted.
"Charlotte, snap out of it!"
The slime spoke with a voice similar to Drake.
"Eh? Slime…?" She asked. She suddenly felt awakened from a strange illusion. As if the voice of the slime brought her back from her fears, which were consuming her like an endless abyss.
"Don't lose against that damn old man! Your father doesn't even know half of who you truly are! Or how amazing you are!" The little slime cheered up for her.
"How… I am?" She asked.
Charlotte suddenly realized something. Through the entire battle, her father had never referred to how her life in the seas was. He simply didn't seem to know. This… obviously wouldn't happen. She would tell her father what she went through, and even more things. Her father would see all her experiences and react differently.
She knew she had become a new woman after all these years. She had already grown up and was a young adult, in fact. She wasn't a little child like right now. She was someone that has survived the harshest of challenges by herself, she had survived enormous and terrifying beasts in the oceans, the unforgiving storms, the terrifying thunderclouds, even now she could say she had traveled over half the world and had met countless people. She even traveled across the continents and explored the vast and beautiful world!
How come someone that has done something so amazing all by herself be called "useless"?
Charlotte suddenly felt her body going back to her usual size, suddenly realizing she was taller than her father as he was a pure dwarf, while she was half human.
Her mother's memories suddenly reached her, before she had passed away. Her tender words illuminating her path forward.
"Always remember that I love you, Charlotte… No matter the hardships you go through, no matter how hard the world treats you… never forget that mommy will always be with you, watching over you…"
"Mother…!"
Charlotte gritted her teeth, suddenly walking outside of her cabin with a gun in her hand. This was a special weapon she had used against monsters named Magic Gun, it was one of the latest technologies that the dwarves had, and it loaded by being infused with Mana!
"THERE YOU ARE!"
Her father roared back at her, as his furious face unleashed lightning from his eyes.
"Come and front your FATHER, COWARD!"
Charlotte looked at her father with a cold stare.
"You're not my father."
BANG!
A direct shot in the face suddenly hit her father, the powerful magic bullet infused with water magic unleashed an enormous explosion that blew the little man off the ground, making him roll across the vast room pathetically. He slowly stood up, covering himself in lightning and then rushing towards her furiously!
"YOU DARE RAISE YOUR HAND AGAINST YOUR FATHER?!"
"I told you, you're not my FATHER!"
Charlotte roared back furiously as well, her powers being transferred towards her entire ship as the cannons magically moved I their own, suddenly loading themselves with her magic in the same way her Magic Gun did! This was something completely new, which she had not seen before at all.
"CANNONS, FIRE!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ship's cannons suddenly bombarded her father with powerful magical explosions, his thunder was fierce and clashed against the bombardments, but the majority hit him and weakened him! His divinity was growing weaker as well as he was merely an illusion.
"AGGH…! Y-YOU DARE…! YOU DAREEEE!"
The monstrous dwarf father suddenly began to transform, his body exploded into flesh and scales, turning into a monstrous wingless, black-scaled dragon with sharp red eyes and demonic horns! Suddenly, Charlotte remembered the old tale about a greedy king that once ended transforming into a dragon as a curse, Fafnir! It was even said that such King existed in her family, and was her ancestor.
"You've already become a monster… I won't simply let you continue to nasty the image of my father… Even as much of a bastard as he was….!" She roared, as more cannons began to bombard the dragon.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The monstrous creature retaliated by unleashing a tremendous dragon breath, impacting the entire ship strongly!
BOOOMMM!!!
The barrier suddenly began to crack, completely shattering as the dragon smiled maliciously, quickly rushing towards Charlotte to finish her off!
"MY DAUGHTER… IT IS TIME FOR YOUR RECKONING- EH?!"
However, Charlotte suddenly generated lightning from her hands as she shaped it as a spear, piercing the dragon's left eye with it!
CLAAAAASSSSHHH!!!
"T-This element… Lightning! I was never good at it but now… It feels as if I've awakened it completely?!" Charlotte was shocked to find her second element had fully awakened, the same element as her father, Lightning! This was, most likely, because she had suddenly jumped from Rank 3 to Rank 5 Peak Stage!
SPAARK! CLAAASH!
"GRUUOOOHHHHHH…!"
The monstrous dragon that Charlotte's father ended turning into groaned in agony, as blood began to splatter everywhere. His head started to boil alive, as Charlotte mercilessly fried him with her awakened affinity!
"Stop resisting…! JUST DIE!" Charlotte cried her lungs out, as loud, and bright explosion of lightning covered the entire room!
BOOOOOMMM…!
…
As everything was clouded by smoke, Charlotte slowly opened her eyes, finding herself… still alive.
TRUUUM…!
And then, a door opened behind her.
[Congratulations, you've completed your personal trial]
"I-I did it…"
Not even Charlotte could believe it.
