Ding—!
The sound of clashing Ice Blades echoed from deep within the Snowy Mountains, instantly stirring a violent storm in the tranquil peaks, even triggering avalanches across several mountains at once.
Rumble—!
Like an army of ten thousand horses, the avalanche surged straight toward the foot of the mountain, its terrifying whiteness nearly swallowing everything in its path.
However, even such a terrifying natural disaster was completely frozen by blue Hard Ice the moment it reached the mountain base, unable to advance even a fraction of an inch.
Shua! Shua!
Two figures leapt out from the snow, one fast and one slow. Within seconds, the flashes of blades and shadows of swords flickered in mid-air once more, triggering a fresh avalanche until it, too, was frozen solid... over and over again.
"Blue Fish, your potential is quite good. I didn't expect you to achieve such a massive improvement in such a short period of time."
Hysilens's figure slowly descended from the sky, quietly stepping onto the ground without causing a single stir. Even if Gaia were here, she would have scored a perfect zero for her lack of presence.
On the other side, Esdeath's body landed heavily on the ice, causing the Hard Ice beneath her feet to crack instantly, with the fissures growing wider and wider.
"This is all thanks to you, Lady Hysilens..."
"If not for your training these past few days, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to adapt to this power so quickly."
Esdeath carefully felt the power filling her body; every shred of it obeyed her will, capable of exploding or retracting at any time or place.
She had completely mastered her own body!
Ever since Esdeath first bathed with Hysilens in the bathhouse, the frequency of their shared baths had been increasing. Furthermore, they always bathed in their Siren forms to allow Esdeath's body to be further stained with Hysilens's scent.
Only by doing this could the Authority of the Demigod of Ocean exert its maximum effect, leading Esdeath toward even more staggering growth.
"Training in human form ends here. Next, let us restart our training in our Siren forms!"
"Yes!"
As the words fell, Hysilens and Esdeath transformed into Mermaids at nearly the same time. Then...
One side manipulated water while the other controlled ice, launching an unprecedented battle. Where the ice and water met, the surrounding Snowy Mountains actually grew thousands of meters higher out of thin air!
Had Imperator not issued an advance order for the people of the North near the Snowy Mountains to evacuate quickly, the resulting casualties would have been unimaginable.
After all, this was a battle between a Demigod and the world's strongest Chrysos Heir; even if it was just training, it was enough to destroy all nearby cities.
Half a day passed in the blink of an eye. It wasn't until the sun gradually sank in the west that the continuous Snowy Mountains regained their rightful tranquility. Soon, not even a fish's shadow remained of the two who had been training there...
In the bathhouse of Hysilens's room within the Northern Kingdom Palace.
"Whew! Lady Hysilens's honey brew is still the best. Having a glass like this after finishing training every day can wash away all fatigue!"
After pouring a full glass of honey brew down her throat, Esdeath instantly felt refreshed. She even licked the corners of her mouth, consuming every stray drop of honey brew.
It was a strange thing; Esdeath had tasted many delicious drinks during this time, but none could captivate her tongue quite like Hysilens's honey brew.
Exactly how was it brewed?
Esdeath could guess from the taste that the raw material was grapes, but ordinary grape juice didn't have this flavor. Ultimately, Lady Hysilens must have done something to it.
"I'm glad you like it. After all..."
"Imperator personally trod these grapes to reward us for our recent training."
Esdeath: "Huh?"
The young girl's eyes widened. Had she just heard something incredible?
"But Lady Imperator, why would she do such a thing? Could it be because... a war is coming?"
Speaking of war, the first thing Esdeath thought of was the conflict with The Empire. She had thought Cerydra would delay the invasion of The Empire for a while; she hadn't expected it to come so soon.
"It is indeed a war, but not a war with The Empire. It is a Super Class Danger Beast!"
A Super Class Danger Beast!
Upon hearing these words, even Esdeath became serious. Coming from a tribe that hunted Danger Beasts year-round, Esdeath couldn't possibly be ignorant of what those words represented.
They were the pinnacle among Danger Beasts, possessing strength that could only be described as that of a god!
If it were the Esdeath of the past, she certainly wouldn't have gone out of her way to provoke one. But now... looking at the black-haired beauty beside her and thinking of Her Majesty the Empress in her mind, she felt that the Super Class Danger Beast was as good as dead!
"A while ago, Imperator received word from the people in the east. They said some Northern Fishermen accidentally discovered a Danger Beast hidden within the mist while beachcombing."
"That Danger Beast's body is entirely reddish-black, with limbs as thick as giant trees and a head and tail like a long serpent... After a period of identification, its status as a Super Class Danger Beast has finally been confirmed."
"It seems to have hidden in the sea for a long time, so it was never discovered by humans. We only received word due to luck."
"After learning of this, Imperator immediately issued a secret order to me: we must take down that Super Class Danger Beast!"
As a being of One Soul, Two Bodies, Hysilens remembered her expression upon first hearing this news...
Aside from shock, it was nothing but shock!
Although she hadn't seen the Danger Beast herself, thick limbs and a serpent-like head and tail... why did that sound so much like an Earth Beast?
Cerydra had always regretted that there were no Danger Beasts similar to the Earth Beast in this world; otherwise, she would have had to capture one to use as a mount!
And now, whether by luck or fate, Cerydra had actually received news of a Danger Beast similar to an Earth Beast...
Then this matter was far from over!
Setting aside whether the opponent was an Earth Beast or not, Cerydra held the Authority of Law in her hands. Simply altering an appearance required very little power.
Even if it wasn't an Earth Beast, she would make it become an Earth Beast.
That is a high and noble creature. Allowing a mere Danger Beast to possess the appearance of a god is actually doing it a favor!
"So, all the training during this period—both for us and the Soldiers—has been for the sake of subjugating that Danger Beast. It would be best if we could capture it alive."
"Imperator has always hoped to possess such a tall mount. Therefore, for this battle, Imperator will absolutely lead an Imperial Expedition..."
"Blue Fish, make sure to perform well when the time comes!"
Hysilens's words echoed in Esdeath's ears, and soon the blue-haired girl grew excited.
"Of course, I will absolutely not disappoint Lady Imperator!"