[Bonus chapter for 600 golden tickets :)]
Ri's eyes sharpened as she strained to control her Ice Petal Dance's third stance.
The massive ice lily flipped in the skies, orienting itself as a shield facing the massive pillars of diamond attempting to crush Ri to death.
'Not enough…' Ri had boosted her ice will to the first intent level, but she felt that this was still lacking.
This Ice Petal's Dance was her mother's technique. And, the reality of the matter was that she never had very much affinity for it at all.
If others were to hear this, they'd find it ridiculous. After all, this was a heaven level technique, and Ri had already learned the third stance of nine at just 18 years old, and yet she lamented her slow pace!
But, Ri could feel it. And, it had become even more clear when she awakened her faith seed properly. Ice wasn't her path to take. However, what could she do? She hadn't had enough time to practice the void kitsune legacy techniques.
Because she had erased her cultivation, she had spent her entire eight-week training time energy cultivating. In the end, she had raised her cultivation to the near peak of the 12th meridian formation level! She only had three more meridians to open to reach the absolute peak. But, that had come at the expense of techniques.
That said, Ri wasn't one to give up so easily.
She had already lost once, and she was still holding onto that anger. It was this woman that had nearly caused her to never be able to birth her love's child. What if Dyon wasn't a soul expert? What if he hadn't been able to cure her?
Eboni had acted with every intention of Ri being caused permanent damage. And she was doing so again! Ri couldn't forgive that! She wouldn't.
Her dark gold aura raged more and more violently. The once bright blue ice lily began to darken, blackening without reserve as the temperature continued to fall further and further.
The dichotomy set by Madeleine and Ri shouldn't be underestimated.
Ri's abyssal ice and Madeleine's blazing flames threatened to clash and erupt into a tempest of endless destruction.
Madeleine's lyre had raised into the air, continuously playing its melody as the cries of a phoenix oscillated an unrelenting heat through the arena.
As mad as Ri was, how could Madeleine not also be angered? The martial world had never ceased in disgusting her. From her birth and her every interaction with Connery Sapientia, she had been taught again and again how much emphasis these sick people placed on their own benefits. And now they were willing to kill her and her sister simply out of spite?!
"Phoenix's Cry." Madeleine's voice cut through everything as her intent level music will laced with her voice. "Violet Hell."
Ode's attack careened forward. From the beginning to now, her and Madeleine had been warring for dominion over the air. Back then, she had thought that she was winning, but it was clear in the end that Madeleine had only been toying with her.
Now though, Ode was making use of a legacy technique of her clan.
Air molecules were volatile, especially at high pressures. If they were compressed enough, they could erupt with power few things could match. Even worse, Ode was utilizing this technique's fourth compression!
She had calculated that with the boost provided to her by the absorption crystals, handling that level of compression would be just fine.
But, Madeleine was a Sapientia. How many could claim to understand the laws of the world more than she? Especially if they were around her age.
Madeleine's flames heated the air, agitating Ode's technique. In an instant, the challenge of maintaining the fourth compression as it descended increased to that of the fifth compression. And then the sixth!
On the other platform, Eboni's laugh filled the stadium as her pillars smashed into Ri's black ice lily. The sound was nearly unbearable, and the shattering of Ri's defenses happened near instantaneously.
"DIE!" Eboni's snicker was as though she was proud of her accomplishment. As though it was her and her alone that had earned this victory. She was truly disgusting. Her beauty meant next to nothing.
Blood dripped from Ri's lips as she struggled to stave off the attack. But, her eyes were filled with determination.
The pillars began to freeze over, cracking under the pressure of an absolute level of ice.
Ri had acknowledged that Ice Petal's Dance wasn't matched well with her affinities. But, she moved forward anyway! If it wasn't suited for her, she would just have to make it so!
Ri's void will tore into the level of intent, increasing the strain on her body even further. She cared little for the consequences and only saw victory.
"I won't lose to the likes of you." Ri and Madeleine seemed to speak in unison.
Ode and Eboni's sneers froze.
A wild condensed sphere of air was shaking violently in the air even as Ode tried to force it forward.
A pillar of diamond was meant to crash forward, but suddenly its momentum had stopped.
One beauty with long flowing jet black hair and the eyes of a beast stood tall even as her eyes bore into a pillar that had stopped mere inches from her delicate features.
Another beauty with flaming violet hair stood as a Goddess among women, her phoenix's cry beginning to reach its peak.
"Little Sister Ri, prepare yourself." Madeleine spoke faintly. "I trust that this will be over in but a moment…"
Ode watched in shock as cracks filled her sphere of condensed air. "No. No."
It hadn't moved forward far enough! If it exploded here, especially with the increase in pressure, they would all suffer!
Ri smiled even as her sword pierced forward, shattering the three pillars that had stalled before her in a single swing.
And then there was nothing. There was no sight. There was no hearing. There was no feeling. There was only an eruption of untold magnitude. And with it stood two women with backs straight and proud.
