The splendid battle between The Monster and children continued to rage on for ten minutes. Sienna and Stilla were using up the full extent of their arsenal in an attempt to bring the beast down to its knees. However, not all abilities have been revealed. After all, it was impossible with their weakened conditions to perform at their utmost best. Let alone have the opportunity to perform some of them. 

Sienna, who was the most recovered, was able to quickly catch her breath and follow up with a variety of slashes. While Stilla would need a brief moment to enact her next attack. 

Unfortunately, the longer the battle was drawn, the crazier The Monster turned. As a result, its slams, bites, slashes, and whips were intensely fierce. At this point of time, the beast appeared to truly represent the image of a ravenous demonic wolf, depicted by the devilish energy and various bloodstained wounds. 

The purplish-black mana coated around the beast's body seemed to escalate to about sixty per cent of its previous concentration. If it were to increase even further, then the end result wouldn't be a sole matter of a horn being melted. 

Sienna was able to resist this fiendish mana to a considerable degree. However, that could not be said for Stilla.

Stilla was already not in her optimal state due to yesterday's injury. This is not even considering the fact that all of her clashes with the beast involved physical contact. An aching pain coursed through her body as she was slowly being affected by the demonic energy. 

Although body consolidators have the foremost resistance to any elemental or physical attack, with Stilla's capabilities, it was not sufficient enough to cope with the ongoing affliction. 

"Stilla if you can't go on then it's alright! I can handle the rest. Take a short break."

"No I'm fine! I can go on for a little longer!"

"Don't push yourself!"

(Until Dalis makes a move I will hold on.)

 

*Flashback*

"Stilla, although your punches pack a punch . . . there isn't any flavour within them."

"Eh? What do you mean by no flavour little brother?"

Dalis ignored Stilla and trudged away. 

"W-wait wait wait wait! What do you mean by no flavour Dalis?" 

Stilla would usually teach him some manners. However, whatever Dalis had said had piqued her interest. It seemed to be something of vital importance. That was what her instincts were informing her. Thus, she couldn't help but inquire about it. 

Dalis stared at her. Stilla stared back, waiting patiently for his response.

Two minutes had passed . . . yet Dalis has not said anything. Within that two minute span, Dalis had barely moved a muscle, nor did he once glance away. Stilla was fine until the first twenty seconds or so. After that, she felt a little uncomfortable though continued to wait with unfailing forbearance. 

When the initial minute passed, she started to feel apprehensive and agitated. This was expressed by her facial expression, in addition her closed in body language that squirmed and moved like a caterpillar. However, it was different from feeling entrapped by the web of a spider. After all, Dalis had never hurt her besides a couple of sparring fights at the Orphanage.

It was just after the two-minute mark that she was unable to hold it any longer and ended up apologising. 

 "I'm sorry . . . "

Dalis did not say anything in response, but his eyes did subtly move a bit. 

In the next moment, he crossed his arms and said.

"Sorry. I teased you too far."

When she heard those words, she really wanted to deliver a full fist strike to his face. 

She really thought she had done something unaware that upset him

Instead, it was his usual antics. 

What irritated her the most was that his tone was nonchalant as always, along with a complete aloof attitude. It didn't appear that he was sorry at all. However, she knew him well. He was sincere. Nonetheless, the degree of sincerity was questionable.

Dalis cleared his throat and began to explain.

"In summary, it is compulsory to have a special technique. There are the Vanquish style attacks which can be considered techniques, but they are not the techniques I am referring to. 

"Eh? So . . . like a hidden art or technique?"

"Correct. Although arts are exclusive techniques often restricted by bloodline, heritage, or other special conditions. So that will not be our focus. Look at everybody else. The majority of them have something that is considered to be a technique. In regards to blessed users, they do not have techniques or arts, but once they have a powerful artefact, they essentially have a technique."

"But you don't have one either Dalis!"

"Precisely. Hence, we must innovate."

"Innovate? I'm not good at theory . . . "

"Don't worry child, I will teach you."

*POW*

 

*Present*

After reminiscing about the past, putting her trust in Dalis within her heart, Stilla firmed up her conviction. 

It was time to throw the house down.

She noticed that the beast has averted its attention towards Sienna. This was because Sienna suddenly increased the frequency of her attacks to assist in relieving the burden for her. When Stilla saw this, she smiled beautifully. It was unfortunate that there wasn't an audience to see it clearly. It was a unique one that couldn't be expressed in normal circumstances. 

With the exception of one . . . 

She stood with her feet parallel, hip-width apart, her knees slightly bent. Arms in front of her well proportionate thighs, palms facing back, hands clenched strong but relaxed. She pulled her shoulder blades down and together.

Stilla then closed her eyes, slowly inhaling and exhaling her breathes. Steadily, she moved her elbows out to a 45° angle until her arms appeared to represent a boxing stance. Her right and left hands were held by the chin, intersecting one another to form the point of a mountain. 

Constricting her brows, she concentrated with all her power; she began to draw upon the force of the earth. 

WHOOSH

Sand swirled the perimeter around her.

The air around Stilla was soughing as though a terrifying monster was being awakened. As each second passed, the wind gradually roiled faster. The turbulent energy within Stilla rumbled as the natural mana was absorbed into her, consolidating in each and every one of her bones. However, much of the energy seemed to seep into her arms, illustrated by the subtle layer of grey translucent mana that was briefly seen as a current of wind.

Moreover, Stilla simultaneously erupted her body muscles with extensive strength, breaching up beyond the human limiter, tapping on the strength that is referred to as "hysterical strength." Her overall strength soared until it had reached one hundred and fifteen per cent! Normally she could only reach on average around ninety per cent but the inclusion of her rapid absorption of natural mana enables her to breach this threshold.

However, one should know that the ability to utilise hysterical strength was a common occurrence for Gigan body consolidators. If truth be told, it is a renowned fact that body consolidators are able to reach heights of two hundred per cent muscle power! The strain behind attempting to excessively surpass the human limiter to such levels comes with a costly backlash. Nonetheless, as the individual becomes stronger, the aptitude to withstand the backlash increases. 

If Stilla was at her best condition . . . a hundred and thirty per cent would be her maximum limit. However, if she did this, the consequences would have been severe. Even now, the demonic energy afflicted on her was acting like an aggravated snake. Coiling around her and constricting her in defiance! 

"Am I seeing things? How is that girl controlling mana outside her body? Look at her fists! Isn't she a body consolidator?"

"Impossible!"

"Is this some kind of secret Gigan technique we don't know about? Or is it in an illusion generated by the rapid absorption of the natural mana? But to be able to consciously take in natural mana to fuel her mana seed . . . "

One of the most challenging mana practices was utilising the natural mana in the environment. Everyone with a mana seed is always subconsciously taking in the natural mana. It served as the key supplement to fueling their own mana within their mana seed. Controlling the natural mana was only a feat capable for skilled experts, and those well-attuned enough with mana to do so. Even then, it only really served as a secondary reserve or tool. The only exception for this control was those with a movement mana seed. They could freely use natural mana and their own mana. However, it was still quite difficult to manipulate and many Feeria people, in particular, could only do so much with the natural mana. Thus, only competent mage experts were truly defined as having the ability to control natural mana. The other seeds were too restricted in manipulating natural mana. 

"If I recall correctly, there was a girl in the Orphanage who has a mana seed that contained properties of both a movement seed and body seed . . . It must be her!!"

"How Bizarre! How could such a thing be possible?! Is this why she is so capable?!"

"Frankly, I have no idea."

Forty-five seconds passed. 

Stilla was continuing to build up strength. 

Sienna had briefly glanced at her thirty seconds ago to check up on Stilla. She had noticed that Stilla was no longer assisting her in the fight. When she saw what she was doing, her eyes widened in shock. To not allow the beast to disturb her, she pushed herself even further to the utmost of her abilities.

However, it was at this forty-five-second mark that the beast's keen instinct warned of an approaching threat. 

Turning its attention towards the direction of the threat, it saw Stilla gathering and building up strength. Its menacing wolf eyes accentuated with seriousness. Without warning, it used a desperate quick mighty slam onto Sienna. As a consequence, the sword wielded by Sienna cleanly pierced a foot into its skin. Due to Sienna moving on reflex, she wasn't aware of what happened. After all, she was already very exhausted, and such a rash move by The Monster caught her off guard. 

Thus, the sword became stuck, wedged into the beast's lower abdomen close to the neck. The beast was furious, but could only hold in its anger for later. Having successfully fended off its enemy, it charged with a nimble motion towards the nearest tree. Imprinting its spiked tail onto the wooden tree bark, it hastily made preparations and flung itself into the air—the missile's trajectory was preset!