Let's Train Heroine

Nyx stepped out of the cavern, the cold wind brushing against her face as she emerged into the open air.

As she looked out across the landscape, her gaze fell upon a scene of chaos and destruction. Dragons of all sizes lay dead or dying, their massive forms littering the battlefield. Lilith and Iris were in the midst of a brutal onslaught, their combined strength tearing through the dragon horde with ruthless efficiency.

Lilith's dark energy lashed out like a whip, slicing through scales and bone as if they were paper. She moved with a savage grace, her arm swinging with brutal precision as she cut down any dragon that dared approach. There was a fierce, wild joy in her eyes as she fought, a grin spreading across her face with each kill.

Iris, in contrast, was a blur of motion, her broken arm hanging limply at her side as she used her legs and magic to crush and burn through the opposition. Golden flames erupted from her feet with each kick, sending dragons sprawling with the force of her strikes.

Even the smallest, youngest dragons were not spared. They fell beneath Lilith's shadows and Iris's flames, their pitiful cries of fear and pain filling the air.

Nyx watched the carnage unfold, her eyes glinting with approval. Everything was proceeding exactly as she had planned. With the Dragon King defeated and his brood eradicated, no one would stand in her way. The power balance of the world was shifting in her favor, and soon, she would have dominion over all.

The ice dragon at her side chirped softly, looking up at her with a questioning gaze. Nyx glanced down, her smile returning as she reached out to stroke its head once more.

"Don't worry, little one," she murmured, her voice as cold as the frost that clung to the dragon's scales. "You'll have your turn soon enough."

With that, she turned her gaze back to the battlefield, watching with satisfaction as Lilith and Iris continued their relentless slaughter.

The battlefield was littered with the corpses of dragons, the scent of charred flesh and blood hanging heavy in the air. The cries of dying beasts filled the ears, but for Iris, there was only a focused calm as she stepped over a lifeless dragon, her gaze set on a small, trembling figure just a few paces away.

A baby dragon—barely the size of a human—cowered amidst the ruins, its tiny scales glimmering like polished emeralds in the sunlight. It looked up at her with wide, frightened eyes, its thin body quivering as it sensed the overwhelming danger she posed.

Iris's gaze was merciless. She had no sympathy for these creatures, no hesitation in carrying out her orders. Whether large or small, every last dragon would be eradicated. Raising her hand, she gathered her magic, golden flames licking at her fingertips as she prepared to end the creature's life.

Just as she was about to release the spell, something shifted in the air—an energy so powerful and foreign that it made the very ground tremble beneath her feet. Iris's eyes widened in shock as she felt it: an immense, crushing pressure that seemed to envelop her entire body.

Her breath hitched, and she tried to turn, to identify the source, but before she could react, a blinding force struck her from the side.

It was like a meteor crashing into her—a burst of energy so intense that it shattered every bone in her body. Iris's world exploded into pain and darkness as she was flung through the air like a broken doll. Her vision blurred, her senses numbed, and all she could feel was the unimaginable agony of her body breaking apart piece by piece.

Her limbs were torn asunder, muscles shredded, organs obliterated. The force ripped through her, leaving nothing intact. Blood sprayed out in a gruesome arc, splattering the ground as Iris's form disintegrated under the sheer power of the attack. And then, in a heartbeat, it was over.

The only thing left of her was a single, faintly glowing object—her heart, still beating weakly amidst the ruins of her body.

The heart hovered in mid-air, suspended by the golden light of Iris's protective magic. It pulsed softly, the only remnant of her existence, and even that would have been destroyed if not for the barrier she had instinctively erected in the last moment before the attack hit.

Lilith, who had been dispatching a wounded dragon nearby, froze as she felt the sudden surge of power. She turned sharply, her gaze snapping to the place where Iris had stood. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she took in the scene: the shattered remains of Iris scattered across the ground, and the lone, glowing heart suspended in the air.

"What…?" Lilith whispered, shock twisting her usually confident features. For a split second, she was utterly still, the gravity of the situation hitting her like a tidal wave. Then, without hesitation, she moved.

In a blur of motion, she was beside Iris's heart, her shadows wrapping around it protectively. Her fingers trembled as she touched the faint golden barrier, ensuring that the fragile heart was intact. Relief flooded her as she confirmed that Iris's core was still whole. As long as the heart remained, Iris could be regenerated—her life preserved.

Lilith's gaze turned cold, her expression darkening as she straightened and turned to face the direction from which the attack had come. Her lips twisted into a snarl as she took in the figure standing amidst the wreckage—a woman, radiating an aura of overwhelming power.

The woman's beauty was breathtaking, almost ethereal. She stood tall and serene, her posture exuding an otherworldly grace that seemed to defy the destruction surrounding her. She was garbed in pure white robes that shimmered softly under the sun, each fold of fabric glowing with a faint, holy light.

Her hair, a striking shade of pink, cascaded down her back like a waterfall of rose petals, catching the light with every slight movement. And her eyes—cold, clear blue eyes—stared back at Lilith with an unreadable, emotionless gaze.

It was as if she was completely untouched by the chaos and violence around her.

"Saint… Maris," Lilith breathed, recognition dawning on her. A smile, twisted and mocking, spread across her lips. "So, the Saint finally graces us with her presence."

Maris did not respond immediately. Her gaze shifted, lingering on Iris's shattered remains, then returning to Lilith. Slowly, she raised her hand, and in her palm, a small, perfectly spherical orb of energy began to form. It was tiny, no larger than a marble, but the sheer amount of power condensed within it made Lilith's instincts scream in warning.

Lilith's smile widened, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Oh, you're not wasting any time, are you?" she purred, her voice dripping with anticipation. "This is going to be fun…"

But before she could act, another presence made itself known. A man stepped forward, his face partially obscured by the shadow of his hood. Dark hair framed his features, and his eyes—equally as emotionless as Maris's—bore into Lilith with a chilling intensity. Lilith's gaze flicked to him, and she found this man same as Nyx, she doesn't know why she felt that way.

Beside him, another figure appeared, one that made Lilith's expression tighten with barely restrained anger. A tall woman with long hair and radiant wings, the familiar aura of light magic swirling around her.

"Elysia…" Lilith's voice was low. Her sister—the Light Fairy Queen. She didn't expect her sister would break from seal this early.

Elysia's gaze was calm but unyielding as she looked back at Lilith.

And finally, there was one more—a creature that Lilith did not recognize. A majestic bird-like beast with brilliant plumage of scarlet and gold, its wings flaring wide as it landed beside Maris. The air around it shimmered with intense heat, flames flickering at its wingtips.

"A phoenix?" Lilith murmured, her smile returning. "My, my… quite the entourage you have, Saint."

Maris's gaze did not waver. Slowly, she lifted her hand, the small orb of energy glowing brighter, the air around it distorting under the weight of its power. Without a word, she hurled the orb towards Lilith.

The attack was impossibly fast. Lilith barely managed to twist out of the way, the orb whizzing past her with a high-pitched whine. It struck the ground where she had stood a moment before, and with a deafening roar, the earth beneath it disintegrated.

A massive void formed, the ground, rocks, and air itself consumed by the sheer force of Maris's power. Everything within the orb's radius simply ceased to exist—vanishing as if it had never been there at all.

Lilith stared at the void, her chest rising and falling with exhilarated breaths. A laugh bubbled up from her throat, wild and gleeful.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" she said, her eyes shining with manic excitement. "Finally—finally, someone strong enough to make me disappear in instant!"

Maris's expression did not change. She simply raised her hand again, another orb of annihilating energy forming in her palm.

Lilith's grin only widened, shadows swirling around her like a dark storm as she prepared herself for her best battle.