Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

Melinda took a few seconds to crack her knuckles as well as her neck but sure she began to deliver a beatdown that would make Hal proud.

So urgent did she find the prospect of beating up Reyna that she didn't spare some time to swallow a mending pill to heal her injuries.

She started by grabbing the front of Reyna's skin-tight fighting garment and used it to lift the dragon lady to her feet before punching her in the face and what followed was an uppercut that lifted Reyna a few feet off the ground.

Then Melinda leaped upward and delivered a double fist to Reyna to send the Dragon lady smacking to the ground.

Reyna groaned in pain as she quickly rolled and returned to her feet and all the while, she tried getting her scales back for protection but they remained unresponsive.

Melinda still had a few more seconds...

Reyna was able to accurately predict Melinda's next move and she raised her gauntlets in an 'X' in front of her face to stop the blow from connecting.

The block was successful and that was especially the case because the gauntlets were made with the intent of being capable of withstanding the might of a Peak Cosmic Pagoda expert.

They did well to protect Reyna from Melinda's blow.

*Bang!*

Melinda smirked as her hand slammed against the gauntlets and she simply gripped her sword Cosmic Armament even tighter in her other hand.

She took a step back and then swung her sword that was now shrouded with the flames of her flame Ordinance and backed by the oppressive force of her dominance.

The sword sliced through one of Reyna's gauntlets and cut it right off her arm.

Reyna's eyes widened but it was somehow not really out of surprise that Melinda had been able to do what she had just done but it was actually at the ever-deepening realization that this battle was surely not going her way.

There was no time to think though as Melinda then thrust the sword towards the face of her opponent to make it clear that she could kill her if that was what she wanted. She held the pose for a second and then got back to type beatdown.

Towards the end of the minute that she had, Melinda had Reyna's back to the ground as staddled her to begin to rain a barrage of punches on her with her fist coated with the white flames of her ordinance, and its impact increased by her Dao.

By the time the minute was over, there was nothing Reyna could do or hope to do.

The blows she had received, where Melinda had punished her up to the point where death would probably have been merciful, had completely sapped her of her strength and removed any possible notion of a counter-attack from her mind.

She was defeated... For all intents and purposes, Reyna had lost.

"Get off her!" snarled a cold voice from behind Melinda was still straddling Reyna.

Melinda acted as though she had not heard the voice but she did not need to acknowledge or look behind her to know who had spoken... she knew it was Adlean Gord who was fresh off of his battle with Creten.

Adlean was sporting numerous injuries all looking deep but he was standing and still prepared to battle Melinda for the safety of hue cousin.

Creten was on one knee... With a very angry expression on his face...

His battle against Adlean had been tough and even now there was no clear winner between them.

Going by Injuries, Creten looks to have won her as he was a bit (Emphasis on 'a bit') less injured compared to Adlean but Creten did not himself to gave won because he knew the real reason Adlean was more injured was that the Dystopian usually had more reckless abandon and would put his body at risk just to land hits on Creten.

He could do this because of his better resilience and overall endurance on account of being a Dystopian and having dragon blood.

Their battle was not even over... Adlean had pushed himself away from Creten to interfere in the battle between Reyna and Melinda.

Create would never admit it but he was glad for the respite... Had things continued and had he not gotten a bit of rest which he was now getting on one knee, Adlean was sure to have the advantage towards the end and then put an end to the battle definitively.

"Get off her... Or else..." Adlean said with a growl as lightning began to flicker about his body.

"Or else what?" asked a voice from behind him and he turned a bit to see Emily smiling lightly with her war hammer held by her side and its two ends covered with blood.

Adlean looked from her to the battle between Dystopians an Herons.

There were about three Dystopians set aside with their heads bashed in and their chest caved in and it was all clearly done by Emily.

While this bunch had paired off to do battle, Emily had gotten into a battle with any Dystopian that tried to come at her, and at first, they were just two but when she seemed to be having the upper hand, another joined just to gang up on her.

They even considered her more of a threat than the Harons (many of whom were injured with a few already dead) and rightly so.

Yes, Emily was yet to comprehend an Ordinance but she did not really need it against a bunch that did have Ordinances either.

Also, in regards to fighting, she probably had more experience than anyone else in the hall.

Anyway, the Antonov woman was quite comfortable being out of the main battles and just fighting the average Dystopian on whom she struck many deadly hits.

She enjoyed the feeling and now, as she asked Adlean the question that could be construed as a counter-threat, there was absolutely no worry on her face... There was only confidence.

Meanwhile, Melinda chuckled and stood up from Reyna...

She was no longer bleeding as much as before and gripped her sword as tightly as ever as she faced Adlean,

"Indeed, Or else what?" she asked and Adlean took on a battle stance as he prepared to battle the two ladies who seemed to have their sights on him and had picked him as their target.

Melinda and Emily shared a look and a smile before they dispersed their Armaments.

The two ladies knew with certainty that together they could defeat the Dystopian and the dispersion of their Armaments was not in surrender but instead a clear statement that they were done fighting.

Melinda stepped aside and gestured towards the injured and practically unconscious Reyna which instantly soothed Adlean's anger as he ran towards her to feed her mending pills and start the process of her recovery.

Melinda walked over to Emily's side to swallow a mending oil while the Antonov woman stretched her sore muscles.

Emily had a few injuries as well and had not come out of her battle unscathed but it was nothing compared to Melinda's.

Adlean supported Reyna's head and propped her up as she came to but just then, Creten dashed forward with the intent to strike down his opponent who had his guard down.

Before he reached Adlean though, a multicolored glow appeared around his body and he was whisked out of the hall.

"What the...?" Emily said as more multicolored glows began to shroud all who were still alive and whisked them out of the well.

Adlean was shrouded and whisked away and before Reyna (who was slowly regaining her strength) could wonder where he was, she was shrouded and taken away as well.

Melinda watched Emily get whisked away as well and was the very last person the monument shrouded and took to a private section.

In that private section, Melinda was treated to an abundance of an Ordnance to which she felt incredible affinity but before she could begin any attempts to gain insight into the said Ordinance, she fell into a trance.

The same that had been worrying her throughout the days leading to the entry into the monument...

She was back in the flower-filled Meadow but this time, she was not alone... There was a woman with her.

The woman was seated on a magnificent throne that was gilded in gold and she wore an elaborate robe that was adorned with godly designs and symbols of such magnitude, Melinda was in awe... Awe of the dress and the authority but not really in awe of the person herself because Melinda recognized her.

While this was likely the real thing as opposed to the will that Melinda had previously spoken to, the identity was the same nonetheless...

This was Sariel, the Supreme Originator, the Primeval Virtue Queen... And when we looked at Melinda, it was without the warmth of the 'Will' Melinda had spoken to before but rather with a detached benevolence... It was like meeting a stranger which was exactly what Sariel was.

"You again..." was Melinda's only comment before she folded her arms beneath her breasts and eyed Sariel.

Sariel got off her magnificent throne and it vanished behind her as she told Melinda with a disapproving look,

"You are lucky I think you can be useful"