43 A fight for acceptance.

"This is my mother." Says Anikia.

She walks up with so much elegance that I might mistake her for someone else. The air around her always takes a turn for majestic when she addresses her people. It's like there is an imaginary red carpet beneath her feet and trumpets are sounding to announce her arrival.

Even I am affected by her Ruler's Haki. My Haki might even be far more potent than Anikia's. I was not given enough time to cultivate it. Yeah, it's powerful and all but is there any effort behind it? Not that I can think of. I had it from the point of my evolution.

Then Anikia's haki is much more deserved than mine.

[You just have to make yourself deserved. You've been given a chance maybe.]

I do think that. I would have to work hard for my people from now on.

Just as Anikia walks out, Every single soldier in the forest freezes. They stop in their tracks like they had seen a ghost. It wasn't fear but sheer surprise that had caught them off guard.

"My Q-Queen?? What are you doing here?? Your condition…" says the soldier that was holding his sword on my neck a moment ago.

He stops while speaking. He was going to inquire about Anikia's health since she was at death's door several days ago. But looking at her made him stop.

"As you can see, My condition is better than before. I have been cured. And the one who cured me is my Mother. This is Velkra. You may call her your Queen from now on." She says.

Me? A Queen? What is she talking about?

"But… Your mother is…" says the soldier.

"Mael. She has taken me in as a daughter. Do keep in mind that no rudeness or insolence will be taken lightly against her. If you have your doubts then also care to know that she will be the one saving us from the disaster of our world." She says.

The soldier, his name is apparently Mael. He seems to be in command. He is quite formidable. About level 30 he might be. A single level in this world makes a huge difference in strength and power.

He looks at me with a wince.

"Mael. I already told you…" says Anikia.

"My Queen. I cannot accept some woman out of nowhere to be your Mother." He says as he kneels down in respect.

"Mael… "

"Well, what would make you accept me? Do I have to show my love for Anikia? Or would you find me worthy if you fought me and tested for yourself?" I say.

"Mother! You don't need to do that! He isn't going to cause a problem! Mael! Apologize!" she says.

Oops. She thinks I'm angry.

"Calm down Anikia. I'm not angry you know. If someone came up and said that they were your Queen's mother from now on, when she already has a mother. You wouldn't accept her easily. I get it." I say.

"Mom … Mael, what do you want? I'm actually against it but… Do you want to fight her?" she says.

I'm sure that he wants to fight. That's what his eyes said when he looked at me. Maybe he's angry about last time? I guess his pride was wounded that he couldn't stop me from going in there.

"She is the woman who went in there without permission. I would want to fight her. It would settle our score and if she loses… You should know." He says.

"Mael. That is not a possibility." Says Anikia.

"Why… is that my Queen?" he asks.

"Because she would not lose." She says.

Ah! Look at that! That serious face as she praises me!

"What… do you mean, My Queen?" he asks.

"I permit the fight. She is now the Queen. I would become the Queen if she loses. But if she wins, it would mean that she is strong enough to be the Queen herself." She says.

"Hey, Anikia. I've been meaning to ask but why am I the Queen?" I say.

"Well, I just said that everything mine is yours. You are the Queen from now on mom." She says.

God. Reincarnation, Subordination, Now it's becoming a Queen? I want a vacation.

"but it would make sense for m to fight you to become the Queen. Why fight him?" I say.

"HE is the one that is objecting. I already made you the Queen a long time ago."

[Attention!]

[New Title Acquired] : [Queen of Demons]

"Do you understand now?" she asks.

"How did you…?"

"I relinquished my title from here and gave it to you. That is my gift to you. You are my mother after all." She says.

Me becoming the Queen of demons? This wasn't my intention when I came to this Realm. The main goal was to stop the attack on Diacis but now look where I am. I saved the dying girl who was the Demon Lord. Slept for days and then fought a calamity after putting up a barrier.

My life is so unusual that even I am surprised. It's nothing like the colorless life I lived back then.

"But. I do have one question. Where are you two going to fight? Should we get out of this forest?" says Anikia.

She probably didn't know that her army was in the woods. But getting out of the forest for a fight would be bad. I can sense the hero and several people out there. The others are… Vejetar? What is he doing here?

Is he fighting the hero? It doesn't seem like he will lose but even so, why is he here? He wasn't there a moment ago? Who are the others?

What? Albart… Willis and… Zanim…? What are they doing here? How did they get here in seconds? Ah. Did Vejetar give them a ride?

It could be possible that they sensed me and got here right away. But getting here in seconds? Nobody fell off Vejetar getting here right? He must have darted here…

[They arrived about 30 seconds ago. It's been 10 minutes since we arrived here.]

Okay. That's enough time for them to sense me and get here.

"Well. My brother and my subordinates are fighting the hero out there so it's not a good idea. We'll just let them be and have their fun. Let's fight in here." I say.

Anikia looks at me surprised and asks,

"Mom, how do you know that they are out there?"

I did tell her, right? About my World Perception?

"I told you earlier, right? I can sense anything within a radius of 20 miles or so…" I say.

"ah yes. I remember now, but 20… Miles? What is Miles? " she says.

Oh. I think the units of measurement might be different like currency.

"It's a way to measure distance. Just know that 22 miles is a very big distance." I say.

"Amazing. I guess that is what you would expect from my mother." She says as she glances at Mael discreetly.

"But Mom, Wouldn't it be difficult for you to fight in these trees?" she says.

Well, these trees can go down anytime. They don't pose much of an obstacle.

"That won't be a problem," I say as I move in a direction to my right.

"There isn't anyone this way right?" I ask.

"There are. My men are in that direction. Why do you ask?" says Mael.

He is the typical upright and well-built man you can imagine.

"Tell them to clear the forest in this direction," I say.

"Do it, Mael." Says Anikia.

"Understood. Tell them to clear the forest in that direction! Go!" he shouts to one of his men.

Several moments pass and the man comes back running informing us that they had done clearing up.

"Look at this," I say.

After that, I bring out my claws,

"[Shing]!" they come out with an audible sound like a sword unsheathing.

"Mom! Your fingers are knives??!" she says in surprise.

The soldiers looking at me flinch where they are standing and look at me with an expression of confusion. They whisper to each other quietly.

"Ha-ha! These are not knives girl! These are my claws!" I say with my chest puffed out and my hands on my waist. Obviously, I was careful with my hands when I put them on my waist. I don't want my claws to poke me.

"That is so cool! You can transform your parts partially too??" she says.

"Yup. That's how I use my wings. My original form is of a Dragon but I usually use my humanoid form for utility. You can't go into small places being a huge Dragon you know?" I say.

"Definitely. You were so big that you wouldn't even fit on the tower…" she says while she thinks to herself.

"Now look at this," I say.

Everyone focuses on me. Anikia watches with anticipation.

"[Aerial Slash]" I say.

I slash with a single claw from one finger like a knife. The single claw sends out a visible slash through the air and,

"[Fishiiiing]" echoes.

Everything goes silent for a brief moment.

"[Crack]" and then comes a sound.

"Huh?" comes a voice from behind.

It's Mael. Every single tree in the direction of my slash began to fall, as their trunks were slashed through.

"[CRAAACK]!" the sound of trees collapsing goes through for several moments until all of the trees cut by my claw fall.

"See? How was that?" I ask Anikia.

She's speechless as her mouth is open. Mael is looking at me with one eye twitching and every soldier is leaning back.

"Ha-ha! This is too much fun!" I say.

"Mom! You're amazing! Can I do that too??!" says Anikia.

"Hmm… We would have to make a weapon for you then… You would have to work hard for that you know?" I say.

[I could help her get a skill related to you but it would take her own effort.]

Exactly. She'll work hard for that.

"Please! I want a weapon!" she says.

"I'll have a weapon made for you soon. You just have to wait." I say.

But how do I make a weapon? Hmm…

"Can we fight now? You have already cleared up room for us to fight." Says Mael.

"Eager to fight I see. Let's go then. Do try to entertain me, Mael." I say.

"Right back at you. I won't be going down easily." He says.

We walk to the center of the place that I cleared up with my slash.

"Twixie? Would you mind limiting my stats? I want to have a bit of fun you see?" I say.

[Roger. Initiating stats limiter. Stats Limited. You are on 50% of your power. Don't forget to pull punches even so.]

Got it.

"Limiting stats? You underestimate me." He says.

"No. I don't underestimate you. I'm just taking care not to blow you up if I punch you seriously." I say.

"Explode?! You are not fighting him, Mom! Let him be! He can object later when he is alive!" says Anikia.

"Oh, you don't need to worry. I'll pull back my punches so he doesn't explode, okay?" I say.

At that Anikia loosens up. Then she backs off a bit.

"Let's do this Mael. Come at me." I say.

I'm standing with my hands tied to my back.

"What? You don't want to fight a weapon?" he says.

I put my right hand in front of my chest.

"Do you really think I need one?" I say.

As I said that, I bring a single claw out of my index finger.

"[Shing]"

"Will that be enough?" he says.

"Test it," I say.

After that, he takes a stance with his sword unsheathed. His sword is thin and sharp. It's not like a typical sword you may see. Maybe it's the kind of sword demons use? I see swords of the same style on other demons too.

"Ready? Fight!" says Anikia.

"Yah!" he yells.

He comes at me with inhuman speed and plunges his sword toward my belly.

"[Tikiiiiinnnng]!" it makes a sound as the sword collides with my body.

"Huh?" he lets out.

He looks down at the point of impact.

"You thought a sword can pierce my body? I'm a dragon you know?" I say as I see his surprise.

The relatively strong and sturdy sword that he had plunged me with was stopped by nothing but my body alone. No shield or weapon to be seen to stop it. It was just my belly that it wasn't able to go through.

"I admire the killing intent you let out. You were serious I guess?" I say.

"I'm always serious." He says and backs off with a huge jump, making the distance between us.

"I feel that weapons might not be able to scratch you so there is no meaning to fight with a sword." He says.

As he said that, he sheathes his sword and sets it own on the ground.

"Can we fight barehanded?" he says.

Barehanded? I don't have experience in hand-to-hand combat but I've always loved it. I better ask Felia to give me lessons next time.

"Sure. But I'm not that well versed in a fistfight." I say.

"Neither am I," he says.

Oh? So he doesn't have experience in hand to hand but he still wants to fight me barehanded? He's letting go of his advantage that way.

"Let's go," I say.

As I said that, he moves towards me with his fists up, as a boxer would. His footwork seems formidable. Must be because of his swordsmanship. He knows how to keep his balance even without his sword.

I do the same thing and put my single fist forward with one behind my back.

Twixie. Level me down to 50.

[Really?]

Yes.

[Okay. Level down to 50.]

He launches a deadly punch straight for my face. The punch whooshes by my face barely missing it as I dodged. The fist retreats back to its position.

Just like that, several punches come rushing. A punch for my forehead, one for my jaw many more. I dodge with utmost precise=ion as each one whooshes by. I duck, lean back, jump to the sides and save myself from getting hit.

"My turn," I say.

I get my feet ready to lunge forward.

"Here I come," I warn him in advance.

Taking a stance to lunge forward, I put force in my legs and push forward. At that, I move with such speed that his eyes couldn't follow. I can still move with enough speed that no one can match.

I finally arrive close in front of his face. The reaction time was a few milliseconds but his body seemed to react. His eyes widen and he gets startled by my speed and moves his body to retreat. All of this is happening in slow motion. I can see everything in slow motion because of the skill that Twixie had turned on. The one that made me think faster.

He moves back in slow motion but I am the faster one. My punch travels to his stomach. I land a single punch.

A sound of thunder rolling echoes through the forest. The impact of the punch sends a shockwave behind him as it lands. I could hear one of his ribs cracking.

"[Gah]!" he lets out.

Just as the punch finishes its impact, the force sends him flying. Flying through several trees that is. That is how much he was blown away by my punch.

The trees fall as he bashes through them.

Everything goes quiet. Everyone is looking in the direction where he blew. There is no movement.

"Uhhh… did I kill him?" I say, breaking the silence.

"Mom!" says Anikia.

"Yeah! I know! I'm going!" I say and run to the place where he was lying unconscious.

I see that he has blood coming out of his mouth and he wasn't responding to any of the slaps I gave him.

"Stop slapping Mom! Do something! He'll die!" says Anikia.

"[Eden's Grace]. There." I say as I cast a healing spell.

His body glows and I hear a few cracks. Must be his bones going back to what they were.

"Ah. He's awake." I say.

"Mael??! Are you alright? That is why I told you not to fight!" she says as she shakes him.

"It hurts… My Queen. I just had to test it… Ha..ha. I thought I was gonna die here." He says in a cheerful yet broken voice.

"Come on Mael… I know you are not this serious. You are a goof. You should stay one so you avoid trouble…" she says.

"Sorry if I worried you My Queen… and you too… Our new Queen. I never meant any disrespect. It was natural for me to do that…" he says as he still lies down.

"No problem. I've never had a fun time like that before." I say.

"Thank you… Our Queen." He says.

Just as he says that, the whole army falls to their knees with a palm to their chest.

Why didn't they get the blessing?

[They must not have consented. They just accepted you. They should get it now.]

"My queen… I feel sleepy…" he says.

"Us too…" says a soldier.

"Guys, it must be my blessing kicking in. Lie down somewhere. You'll be asleep for quite some time I think." I say.

"Are we… evolving…?" he asks me.

"Yup. You'll be stronger. You just got the blessing of Elder Dragon Velkra." I say.

"I… see…" he says.

After that, all the people lie down with their hands on their chests and lose consciousness. Their bodies give off a faint glow.

When I was done checking them one by one, I face the direction in which Albart and everyone else was fighting The Hero.

"I guess I should go there too."