Selena

The air crackled with energy as Selena's transformation reached its peak, her evolution from Demonoid | Celestial to True Celestial now complete. She stood before Shiro, her red eyes no longer just a deep crimson but now a mesmerizing blend of golden amber and ruby. They shimmered with an otherworldly allure, reflecting her newfound power and determination.

"Master, allow me to take care of this beast proclaiming itself as a god," Selena declared, her voice carrying a calm but firm resolve.

If the beast had the capacity for coherent thought, it would have argued against Selena's statement. It had never claimed to be a god; that was the villagers' doing, using the creature's existence for their own ends. The serpent was a force of nature, acting on instinct rather than divine will, driven by the primordial urges that guided its existence.

Shiro met Selena's gaze, his eyes narrowing slightly as he activated *Divine Clairvoyance*, a skill that allowed him to peer into the threads of fate. He scrutinized her, searching for any indication of her chances against the colossal beast. Selena didn't flinch under his gaze; she stood tall, her posture unwavering, though she could sense the weight of his evaluation.

In Shiro's mind, the prerequisite for a battle was the ability to deal meaningful damage to one's opponent. Selena had undoubtedly grown more powerful—her evolution was proof of that—but power alone was not enough. The monster before them was an ancient and titanic force, one that could not be easily felled by mere strength. Selena lacked the experience and mastery over her new abilities to effectively combat such a creature. Her physical prowess, though immense, was still insufficient to inflict serious harm on the beast.

To Shiro, Selena was like a child who had been given an assault rifle—she might be able to fire it, but without the necessary control and experience, the weapon's full potential would be wasted. Despite this, a wry smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he nodded, granting her permission.

'If she wants to try, let her,' Shiro thought, his reasoning guided more by his desire to allow her free will than by logic. He didn't want to bind those around him to his will or force them to rely solely on him. People should act according to their own desires and beliefs. Taking away their free will would make him no different from a paranoid tyrant. Besides, if things went awry, he could always bring her back using *Blood Raised*. Perhaps this could serve as a valuable lesson for her—a necessary setback on her path to growth.

Selena's face lit up with a determined smile. She was well aware that her chances of victory were slim—her *Extra Skill: Sage* had already warned her of this—but she chose to ignore the cold logic of the skill. Even if her odds were near zero, she wanted to test her strength, to face the creature that had almost taken her life. Revenge, though a dangerous motivator, burned brightly in her heart.

The beast, meanwhile, was slowly recovering from the initial encounter. It spread its massive wings, attempting to flee into the sky. Though it lacked sentient thought, its instincts screamed at it to escape from the tiny but dangerous being that now stood in its path. Where once it had seen Shiro as an insignificant insect, it now viewed him as an incomprehensible threat, a monster beyond its capacity to overcome.

However, before it could escape, a figure appeared above its massive head—a figure so small it was almost a speck against the dark sky. Yet, the beast recognized it immediately. It was the same relentless insect that had disturbed its rest and led it to this confrontation. Rage overtook its fear as it lashed out, trying to dislodge the figure, but Selena held firm, her small form anchored by sheer will and determination.

A vast concentration of energy began to gather above the serpent's head. The beast could sense the growing power, but before it could react, the energy erupted in a blinding explosion, a cataclysmic burst that tore through the sky and momentarily cleared the darkness. The serpent's massive eyes rolled back, its consciousness slipping away for just a moment. Though the explosion didn't kill it, the damage was significant, far greater than anything it had suffered before.

"Is she suicidal?" Shiro muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with disbelief as he witnessed Selena's audacious move.

He hadn't foreseen such reckless behavior. Despite his *Divine Clairvoyance*, which allowed him to perceive and understand the intricate web of cause and effect, fate, and even probability, his ability to predict others' actions was not absolute. When it came to other people, his foresight relied heavily on his understanding of them, and unless he sacrificed an enormous amount of energy to observe all possible paths, predicting someone's precise actions was nearly impossible. The future was a fluid, ever-changing tapestry where every small action had rippling effects.

Selena had gathered energy from the surroundings, combining it with her own in a haphazard manner. She hadn't bothered to control the quality or quantity, resulting in a massive, volatile explosion. Though she managed to escape before the blast, she hadn't been able to avoid its destructive force entirely.

"It seems her hatred for the beast rivals her desire to live," Shiro mused, preparing himself to step in if necessary. His hands twitched slightly, ready to summon his power at a moment's notice.

But Shiro had misunderstood Selena's intentions. She wasn't reckless, nor was she suicidal. This was all part of her plan. Selena knew she couldn't bypass the beast's natural defenses through conventional means. She understood that survival was possible as long as even a fragment of her remained, thanks to her *Unique Skill: Divine Perseverance*. But could the beast recover as easily from such an attack? If it could, her chances of victory would indeed be close to zero, but if it couldn't, then victory might still be within her grasp.

Everything now hinged on the serpent's reaction.

The titanic creature plummeted from the sky like a meteorite, its massive body crashing into the earth with a force that obliterated everything in its path. The impact was followed by a powerful earthquake, and shockwaves radiated outward, spreading destruction across the land.

Selena's former village, now reduced to ruins, was the first to bear the brunt of the beast's fall. The simple wooden huts and stone houses crumbled under the immense pressure, the super-earthquake and shockwaves decimating everything in their path. The village, once home to a thousand souls, was now a desolate wasteland, with less than half its population surviving the devastation.

Yet Selena felt neither empathy nor hatred for the villagers. Her eyes remained cold, calculating. Their suffering was not her concern, just as her fate as a sacrifice had not been theirs. In her mind, there was no room for pity or resentment—only the stark reality of survival.

The beast stirred, regaining consciousness after a brief blackout. Its fierce, bloodshot eyes fixed on Selena, now hovering in the air. Her body, which had been reduced to little more than a head, was rapidly regenerating, the *Sub-Skill* of her *Unique Skill: Divine Perseverance*—*Ultra-Speed Regeneration*—working at a visible pace.

Selena observed the creature closely, noting with satisfaction that it wasn't healing. A smile spread across her face, her confidence swelling. Her chances of victory had just increased from a mere 10% to a promising 50%.

Shiro, still watching from a distance, couldn't help but smile as well, finally understanding her strategy. Selena had gambled everything on this attack, and it seemed that her gamble had paid off. The beast was weakened, vulnerable in a way it hadn't been before. Victory was now within her reach, though it was still far from guaranteed.

But the battle was not over yet. The serpent, though injured and disoriented, was far from defeated. It still possessed immense strength and the ferocity of a cornered animal. Selena's resolve would be tested to its limits as she faced the beast in the final moments of their confrontation.

Shiro remained poised, ready to intervene if necessary, but for now, he allowed Selena to continue. This was her fight, her trial by fire, and whether she emerged victorious or fell in battle, it would shape her into the warrior she was destined to become.

As the tension in the air thickened, Shiro's thoughts drifted to the future. Selena's actions today, whether successful or not, would have far-reaching consequences. But that was a problem for his future self to deal with. For now, all he could do was watch as his attendant, now a True Celestial, faced her greatest challenge yet.