"ROAARRR!!!"
The Infant Dragon let out a deafening roar, suddenly rising from its coiled position.
Its powerful hind legs slammed the ground, propelling its massive body forward like a cannonball—
the sheer speed defied what one would expect from such bulk!
Faced with this ferocious charge, Kanae's gaze sharpened. Her steps shifted fluidly, and her figure drifted aside like a wind-blown leaf.
"Breath of Flowers, Fourth Form – Crimson Hanagoromo!"
She didn't dodge completely. Instead, in the rush of wind stirred by the Infant Dragon's charge,
she twisted her body with exquisite footwork, her Nichirin Blade carving a brilliant crimson arc through the air.
The blade swept like a dancer's skirt across the dragon's side, attempting to cut through its defenses.
"CLANG—!!"
A harsh metallic clash echoed, sparks scattering!
Kanae felt a powerful rebound jolt through her arms, her fingers tingling.
Even with S-rank strength and precision swordsmanship, the strike only left a faint white scratch on the dragon's deep red scales.
Such strong defense!
Startled, Kanae immediately withdrew, using the impact to create distance.
Furious from the failed attack, the Infant Dragon halted abruptly.
Its massive head reared up, glowing ominously from deep within its throat.
"Watch out, dragon breath!"
Phaethon's voice rang out.
The next second, a torrent of blazing fire burst from the dragon's mouth like a high-pressure jet,
instantly incinerating the spot where Kanae had stood and scorching a wide radius into charred earth.
That was close!
If she'd hesitated even slightly, she'd be dead or gravely wounded.
This dragon had it all—defense, brute strength, surprising speed, and ranged attacks.
A truly well-rounded powerhouse!
No more testing... it's time to go all out!
Kanae's expression hardened. She made her decision.
"Breath of Flowers, Final Form – Equinoctial Vermilion Eye!"
She focused her spirit into her eyes, applying intense pressure through a unique breathing technique.
Instantly, her vision tingled sharply. The world took on a faint blood-red tint.
But in that moment, her dynamic vision reached an unfathomable extreme.
In her eyes, the Infant Dragon's previously swift movements now appeared in slow motion—
every twitch of its muscles, every trajectory of its claws, clearly traced.
This was the secret technique of Breath of Flowers: trading ocular strain for hyper-enhanced dynamic vision.
"Now!"
Seizing the moment of recovery after the dragon's breath attack, Kanae lunged!
With Equinoctial Vermilion Eye, it felt like she could see the future—
reading all of the dragon's next moves in advance.
"Second Form – Honorable Shadow Plum!"
She dodged.
Her blade flashed like a plum blossom's shadow, slipping past the dragon's claw.
"Fifth Form – Peony of Futility!"
Nine consecutive slashes, all targeting the shallow cut left by Crimson Hanagoromo!
Finally, her blade broke through a scale, drawing a trickle of dark red dragon blood.
"Sixth Form – Whirling Peach!"
Her spinning body bloomed into a petal storm of lethal arcs, widening the gash!
In this hyper-aware state, Kanae became a battlefield virtuoso.
Every movement was millimeter-perfect.
Every slash, maximally efficient.
With Equinoctial Vermilion Eye amplifying her skills, her sword style reached its peak!
The Infant Dragon stumbled backward, roaring in pain and fury.
It slashed, lashed its spiked tail, and breathed fire again and again, desperate to strike her.
But Kanae—half a step ahead at every moment—dodged everything and retaliated ruthlessly.
The battle burned red-hot.
Kanae threw everything into the fight—her sword techniques, her S-rank physicality, her resolve.
Every breath, every swing drained her.
But she couldn't stop—not yet. She was so close!
Finally, after narrowly evading a sweeping tail swipe, Kanae found her perfect opening.
The Infant Dragon, off-balance from its miss, left its neck briefly exposed.
"Right here!"
Kanae poured every last ounce of power into her Nichirin Blade.
With Equinoctial Vermilion Eye's precision, she aimed for a gap in the scales at the dragon's throat—
and delivered her strongest thrust!
"SQUELCH—!!!"
The blade pierced deep into its vital point!
"ROOOOO—!!!"
The Infant Dragon let out one final anguished roar.
Its massive body convulsed, the light in its eyes fading.
With a thunderous crash, it fell—lifeless.
Victory.
Kanae, seeing the beast collapse, finally let go.
The backlash of Equinoctial Vermilion Eye slammed into her.
Dizziness. Weakness. Blackness.
She collapsed, unconscious.
In her blurred vision before passing out, she thought she saw a familiar plush rabbit bouncing toward her.
When Kanae next awoke, she found herself lying in her familiar bed at their Familia base.
Her body was sore, but the pain in her eyes was gone. Her wounds had been treated.
A faint herbal scent hung in the air.
"Awake?"
Phaethon's gentle voice came from beside her.
He sat in a chair, holding a status sheet.
"...Lord Phaethon," Kanae tried to sit up.
"Don't move. You just came out of an extreme battle. Rest."
Phaethon gently pressed her down.
"Congratulations, Kanae. You defeated the Infant Dragon.
That feat is more than enough to level you up."
"Really?"
Kanae's eyes lit up in pure joy.
"Absolutely."
Phaethon nodded, admiration in his voice.
"In just one week, you went from a complete novice to someone who maxed out every stat at S-rank—
and defeated an Infant Dragon, accomplishing a true feat of valor.
You've officially broken the record once set by Loki Familia's Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein."
One week. A new record. A level-up.
Kanae's heart surged with joy—this meant she was one step closer to her dream!
"Then... Lord Phaethon, right now..." Kanae looked at him expectantly.
"I've already updated your status and processed your level-up."
Phaethon handed her the sheet.
Trembling with excitement, Kanae took the paper and stared eagerly at her new stats.
But as Phaethon's gaze fell on the sheet—especially the newly added development abilities—
his expression grew oddly complicated.
He froze, momentarily stunned...