At that moment—
Boom!
A deafening crash echoed through the air.
The sphere of hair encasing Dominica exploded outward with tremendous force. The strands snapped like overstretched wires, scattering in every direction.
From within the wreckage, a figure emerged. Dominica's clothes were in tatters, revealing her muscular upper body. Beads of sweat evaporated in the heat of battle, forming a faint mist above her head.
His eyes were cold as he fixed his gaze on the girl standing opposite him.
"I didn't expect you'd push me this far," Dominica said with a hint of approval in her voice. "Impressive. It's been a while since I've had a fight like this."
He rotated his neck, a series of loud cracks resounding as he stretched his limbs.
"But don't get the wrong idea. This isn't about you," she continued. "It's just been too long since I've had a proper battle, and I'm still shaking off the rust."
The girl didn't respond, her expression dark and foreboding.
Dominica smirked, her demeanor shifting from elegance to something almost primal. Her voice took on a gruff edge as she spat, "A B-rank monster... the crash type. You rely on death energy to create that mess of hair. Sure, long hair can be beautiful, but when it's like this? It's revolting. Bedbugs like you are the kind of filth that Taris spews out."
Dominica spat again, a sharp contrast to her previously refined behavior.
"But that's enough of this nonsense," she said, her tone hardening. "I've found you, and now I'll crush you."
The girl glared at him with a mixture of fury and unease as Dominica raised her hand.
Suddenly, a clod of dirt flew toward him. Without hesitation, Dominica opened her mouth, snapping up the dry wolf's meat buried in the soil. She chewed and swallowed with deliberate force—once, twice, three times—until the mass of earth disappeared into his stomach.
She exhaled sharply and clenched his fists.
"Eat it, and power will surge up!" she roared.
In an instant, Dominica's aura began to intensify, swelling visibly. The fatigue of battle seemed to melt away, replaced by a strength even greater than when she had started.
Kaizen frowned at the sight.
"That's Dominica's ability," Wendy explained beside him. "She manipulates soil and integrates it into her techniques. Her belief in the power of the earth is unshakable. By eating it, she can restore her aura and even enhance it."
Kaizen didn't need her to spell it out—Dominica's transformation was obvious.
Still, a thought gnawed at the back of his mind.
This feels familiar, Kaizen mused.
He recalled something from his previous life, a scene from the world of Fairy Tail. The Dragon Slayers in that world could consume their respective elements to restore their power—fire, steel, air. It was eerily similar to what Dominica was doing now.
So, is Dominica an earth dragon slayer in this world? Kaizen speculated. He glanced at Wendy. Does that mean her abilities might work in the same way?
Wendy's earlier comment lingered in his mind: Dominica's awe for the soil fueled his power. It reminded Kaizen of the teachings of Netero, the Chairman, who trained with gratitude in every punch he threw atop a snow-capped mountain.
Kaizen pondered aloud, Aura stems from life energy, a combination of physical and spiritual energy. Having faith in something seems to greatly enhance spiritual energy. For Netero, it was gratitude toward nature. For Dominica, it's his reverence for the soil.
He thought back to what Maha Zoldyck had once told him during a visit to the Zoldyck Manor. Maha had said that to advance beyond the ordinary, one must walk their own path—guided by faith, will, or belief.
But Kaizen knew he wasn't ready to fully grasp this yet. As Maha had warned, thinking too far ahead could lead to ruin. Like Uchiha Itachi from another world, Kaizen didn't want to fall into the trap of overthinking and straying from the path he was meant to walk.
"When the time comes, I'll figure it out," Kaizen muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, Dominica's aura surged, a crushing pressure emanating from her. The sheer intensity of her presence forced the monster girl's back to bow under the weight.
Dominica began to move.
Step.
Boom!
Step.
Boom!
Step.
Boom!
Each step seemed to reverberate through the ground, as if the earth itself trembled under her power. The monster girl's hair writhed and twisted, trying to fight back against the oppressive force, but it was futile.
Figures around her began to collapse, one after another, crushed by the overwhelming aura. First one, then two, then three...
Finally, Dominica stopped a few paces away.
"No!" the monster girl shrieked, her voice tearing through the air. Her eyes burned with rage and desperation as her hair flailed wildly.
"Die!" she screamed, her hatred palpable.
But Dominica's calm demeanor didn't waver. She lifted her foot once more, ready to bring it all to an end.
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