"You have exceeded my expectations," the Skeleton Queen said, her voice cold yet strangely amused.
Lunara, breathing heavily but still standing tall, smirked in return.
"Of course," she replied, her eyes gleaming with pride. "After all, you're fighting the future Queen of Witches."
The Skeleton Queen blinked, her expression shifting from amusement to sheer delight.
"You're a princess?" she said, almost laughing. "We hit the jackpot… Your status will be worth so much."
Lunara's smirk deepened as she took a step back, her body ready to move at any second. "Try to catch me, then," she teased.
The Skeleton Queen smiled wickedly, her body suddenly shifting. With a low growl, she invoked her Skeleton Creation—Skeleton Armor. Her transformation was both beautiful and terrifying:
Ten small skeletal heads formed on her knuckles, two more grew on her knees, and thick, jagged bones sprouted like spikes from her forearms and shoulders.
Her figure was now cloaked in a long, elegant blue dress, matching the glowing blue gem embedded into her forehead.
Two massive bone horns jutted out from each side of her head, framing her malicious smile.
In one hand, she brandished a large, gleaming spear made of solid bone, while in the other, she conjured sharp, deadly bones and hurled them straight at Lunara.
Without hesitation, Lunara leaped into action. She slashed through the incoming projectiles with swift, precise movements, then launched herself directly toward the queen.
However, the Skeleton Queen was ready.
Instead of throwing the spear as Lunara expected, she extended the weapon's shaft, the bones elongating like a living creature. It shot out with alarming speed.
Lunara crossed both her swords in front of her, coating them with her Creation for extra strength, and blocked the attack.
Yet the force behind the queen's spear was overwhelming.
The sharp bone punctured through the swords despite the protection of her Creation, and the impact reverberated through Lunara's arms. A sickening crack echoed through the air.
Pain shot through her palms. Lunara gritted her teeth, refusing to scream. Her entire hands were mangled, the flesh torn apart from absorbing the impact.
She could feel the blood soaking through her skin, but she wouldn't give her enemy the satisfaction of seeing her in agony.
The Skeleton Queen, sensing her advantage, pressed forward without mercy.
She swung her spear again and again, forcing Lunara to dodge frantically, her movements growing sloppier without her swords to properly defend herself.
With each missed attack, the queen chuckled, her voice dripping with cruel excitement.
"The prize is almost within reach," she hissed. "Hehehe… we are finally one step closer to returning to our prime."
Breathing heavily, Lunara retreated to create some distance, but the queen wouldn't let her.
With a smirk, the Skeleton Queen formed her Pac-Man Whip and hurled her spear in Lunara's direction, instantly materializing another one in her free hand.
The attacks were relentless, unpredictable. Lunara dashed and weaved between them, each spear narrowly missing her body.
She had no time to think, only to react.
Then the Pac-Man creature—a massive skeletal maw—chased her, its gaping mouth snapping hungrily.
In a desperate move, Lunara summoned an Iron Fist with her Creation and punched the Pac-Man square in the jaw.
But the monster bit straight through her attack, nearly devouring her entire arm. She barely escaped, beads of cold sweat running down her forehead.
Lunara realized grimly that the Skeleton Queen's transformation had strengthened her bones tremendously.
They weren't ordinary bones anymore—they were hardened, reinforced with some unknown energy.
Before she could recover, the Skeleton Queen appeared right in front of her in a flash of bone and blue energy.
Reflexively, Lunara summoned a blade to strike, but the queen effortlessly blocked it with her horns, shoving Lunara backward like a ragdoll.
Lunara hit the ground hard, coughing and gasping for air. Her body ached, her injuries mounting, and exhaustion gnawed at her spirit.
She knew it deep down—if this kept up, she would lose.
She would be captured, sacrificed for a Purgatorist ritual, and her dreams of becoming Queen would end before they even started.
Tears of frustration welled in her eyes, but she pushed them down. She wasn't done yet.
Taking a shaky breath, Lunara closed her eyes, forcing herself to concentrate.
She knew that Passive Creation—her natural defensive mechanism—was her only chance now.
While her conscious mind focused on offense, Passive Creation would defend her automatically, but only if she trusted it completely.
A sharp whistling noise tore through the air.
Another spear, thrown faster than sound, raced toward her. Lunara, still with her eyes closed, didn't react in time.
The weapon pierced her side, blood spraying out. She had been too slow. Her Passive Creation hadn't activated in time.
The Skeleton Queen tilted her head mockingly. "Why aren't you dodging? Getting boring now," she taunted, hurling another spear.
This time Lunara managed to defend a little, but she still took damage—her body couldn't keep up yet.
Blood trickled from her mouth as she fell to her knees.
"You better dodge the next one," the queen warned with a wicked grin. "Or I'll come kill you myself."
As the next spear whistled through the air, Lunara remained motionless.
But this time, just as it was about to tear into her flesh, something inside her sparked to life.
Passive Creation kicked in at the last second, forming a shimmering shield that deflected the spear.
Lunara exhaled shakily, realizing she had been holding her breath all this time. Tears of relief prickled her eyes. She could do this. She could win.
The Skeleton Queen frowned, mildly surprised.
But she wasn't about to back down. With a wild shriek, she extended her spear, connecting it to the bone growing from her arm.
The weapon was no longer separate—it was an extension of her very being.
She pushed forward, trying to overwhelm Lunara's defense.
But Lunara's Passive Creation, fueled by her iron will, blocked the advance. They struggled against each other, the ground cracking beneath them.
Finally, the queen's spear snapped in half under the strain.
Rather than rage, the queen only laughed, delighted by the challenge.
"You're more fun than I thought," she said, spreading her arms wide like she was about to embrace Lunara.
With a sudden surge of energy, dozens of bone spikes erupted from her palms, growing and engulfing the area like a deadly, expanding forest.
But she dodged just in time, somersaulting over the queen's head and slapping her hard on the neck.
The Skeleton Queen staggered, crashing into the ground below.
Snarling, the queen summoned dozens of skeleton heads to attack, but Lunara escaped their grasp. She wasn't going to get caught again.
Undeterred, the queen summoned another spear in her left hand while spinning the Pac-Man in her right.
Lunara, refusing to back down, charged forward. She conjured double Iron Fists, clenching them tightly as she sprinted.
Bones, blades, and even a massive skeletal skull erupted from the ground in front of her.
She was struck several times—but thanks to Passive Creation, she felt no pain. Her defense held strong.
Without stopping, she grabbed the giant skull, spun, and hurled it back at the queen. The Skeleton Queen simply fed it to her spinning Pac-Man, devouring it whole.
Not missing a beat, she hurled both her spear and Pac-Man at Lunara simultaneously, hoping to catch her off guard.
But Lunara had learned. She ignored the spear, focused entirely on the Pac-Man, grabbed it with both hands, and with a scream of effort, crushed it into dust.
The Skeleton Queen seized the moment to lunge at Lunara with her horns poised to slash.
Fear gripped Lunara's heart for a brief moment—what if Passive Creation failed now? What if she died here?
But then she remembered Annie's words:
"A strong-willed Passive Creation will never betray its user."
Gritting her teeth, she braced herself. The Skeleton Queen's blade-like horns made contact—but Passive Creation surged, forming a near-invisible shield that blocked the deadly attack.
Fueled by newfound confidence, Lunara grabbed the queen's horns with both hands and snapped them clean off, the force traveling up into the queen's skull.
Cracks splintered across her bony face.
The Skeleton Queen let out a shriek of agony and fury as she stumbled backward, her beautiful blue dress torn, her once-majestic armor now shattered.
And Lunara—bloodied, battered, but standing strong—knew in her heart:
This battle was getting close.