[Unika POV]

  As I flew towards Stel’s mountain, I ran through my strategy one more time.

  It wasn’t foolproof, I’ll fully admit to that, but it should work. Besides, if I know Einar and Eline as well as I think I know them, they are already on their way to get Brian. And if I die, Brian will resurrect me. I’m sure of that.

  I got my head in the game as I saw the mountain in the distance. I was ready, and I was going to do this.

  Stel, you will be mine.

  As I got closer, I saw light beginning to gather at the top of the mountain. Stel must have noticed me. But that is what I assumed. She saw the invisible Big Core MK-2, so naturally she would see my Delta Tri.

  I was ready for Stel’s attack, so as the massive fme came, I turned the ship to avoid it. I had to get a bit closer before I greeted Stel with my power, so I went as fast as the ship did, and as soon as I saw the Sor Fre Fox, I activated a Spell Card. Dragon Laser.

  With it, the Trigon I had equipped to my Delta Tri left the section of the ship it had been in, and attacked Stel with all of its power.

  Spoiler[colpse]The small fire dragon flew at the fox, burning away the light that surrounded it. With that, I could really appreciate Stel.

  She was quite small for a monster that is said to be more powerful than an SS-rank, no more than five meters from head to butt. But she did have nine long tails that made her appear quite a bit rger.

  I knew you can’t always assume things based on size, I learned that from Nio. But still, compared to Sagarmatha, Stel is tiny. I wonder if that is why she is a ruler? Maybe she wanted to show that she is strong despite her small size?

  Well, she can show that power to me.

  All of her tails began to glow, as she prepared for another attack, but I was ready. I summoned the Barrier Statue of the Abyss before Stel could use its spell, because under the power of the Barrier Statue, only magic matching their attribute can be used. So Stel likely cannot use magic at all.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]The momentary loss of its magic seemed to make Stel hesitate. She could probably leap at me, but without her magic, she likely can’t fly, or at least can’t fly well, while she already saw how fast my ship is.

  That gave me the time to get out the next cards.

  I activated a Field Spell Brian gave me, Earthbound Geoglyph. It isn’t a part of my usual deck, nor was the monster I was going to summon, but that monster is perfect for what I want to do.

  Spoiler

  nro_8

  [colpse]“I tribute Delta Tri and Barrier Statue of the Abyss.”

  Since I tribute my Delta Tri, I began to fall towards the ground, so I used a Fire Magic spell to help myself fall a bit slower. And as I did, a chant for the monster I was about to summon forced its way out of my mouth.

  “Souls lost in countless battles.”

  “Gather into a form where you can end all violence.”

  As I chanted, a glowing purple line was forming on the side of the mountain. I also reached the ground and nded with a roll. It wasn’t the most graceful nding, but it worked.

  “Emerge from the Tainted Earth and lend me your power!”

  The glowing purple lines began to resemble the form of a giant aquatic creature. It glowed with power, and every word I chanted increased that might.

  “Arise from the lines drawn on the Ground. Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua!”

  Spoiler

  [Note: A slightly customized chant from the anime chant for this monster. Just something that makes Chacu Challhua seem more benevolent instead of destructive.]

  [colpse]The ground below the glowing lines burst open, as a massive whale, whose body was made of those glowing lines, emerged.

  The Earthbound Immortals were some of Brian’s most powerful monsters, but they came with a drawback. Unless you could use the Divine-Beast variants, which only Brian can use, they required a Field Spell to be in py. And while most monsters couldn’t destroy a Field Spell, there is a high likelihood that Stel could.

  Except that she couldn’t. Because as long as I controlled an Earthbound Immortal, Earthbound Geoglyph cannot be destroyed. Not by anything. Even Erasure Magic, something that can destroy anything, can’t touch it.

  Spoiler[Note]False information, but that is because Unika, and Brian, don’t know better. Erasure Magic is basically banishing, so it actually can deal with Earthbound Geoglyph. You just have to use one with enough range where it doesn’t target areas affected by Earthbound Geoglyph, because Earthbound Geoglyph is immune to targeting. So if Alice learned a ‘banish all cards on the field’ style Erasure Magic Spell, that could destroy/banish Earthbound Geoglyph.

  [colpse]

  But as to why I relied on this almost Divine-Beast, that is because of Chacu Challhua’s effect. As long as he doesn’t attack, no other creature within its vicinity can attack either.

  That means I can take my time with Stel and she can’t harm me.

  So I calmly walked towards the fox, who was clearly trying to cast magic to attack me. But since that wasn’t working, Stel changed her pn and charged at me. But she couldn’t harm me that way either, instead just softly colliding with me.

  She was a bit heavy, but I have plenty of strength, so I was able to keep myself standing.

  “Hello Stel.” I greeted her nicely. “I want you to make a summoning contract with me.”

  {Never!} The fox growled and attempted to bite me. Naturally it couldn’t, so she just awkwardly hovered her maw next to my shoulder.

  “It won’t be that bad.” I told her, as I gently patted her head. “You’ll just have to respond to my calls every now and then.”

  {NO!} She howled. {I’d hate to submit myself to you!}

  She jumped away from me and looked to the sky where Chacu Challhua was swimming through the air.

  {That creature. It must be the problem. If I just …} Light began to gather in Stel’s tails, but it dispersed as quickly as she could gather it. {Yes. That is the problem. I just need to…}

  She seemingly figured something out. She tensed her body and jumped towards my Earthbound Immortal. But you cannot attack an Earthbound Immortal, so Stel passed straight through Chacu Challhua. She then began to fall, as all things that can’t fly do, so I generated two Magical Arms and sent them her way to hopefully catch her.

  I wasn’t that good with Magical Arms. I could make two just fine, but four was quite difficult and six was nearly impossible. I often question how Brian can use like eight of them fine, but then I remember, he is Brian.

  My arms weren’t needed, as Stel used some magic to slow her descent and nded gracefully on the ground.

  {... Interesting. So I can’t attack, but I can use Magic.} She said. {Then I should be able to…}

  Stel began to gather light again, and this time she clearly had a pn. She shouldn’t be able to harm me, but I wasn’t about to take that chance.

  “Chacu Challhua! Use your effect on her!” I called out to the Earthbound Immortal flying above us.

  The whale responded to my call by sending a beam of purple light to attack Stel.

  It wasn’t actually an attack, but something else. When I once asked Brian about it, he compared it to Lua’s Corrupted Healing Magic. So while it does deal damage, it isn’t an attack in the traditional sense. Defensive spells can’t stop it, neither can armor or equipment, and it ignores the target's Defense stat.

  Stel shrieked in pain as her legs colpsed. She turned to me with fire in her eyes.

  {So you want to hurt me! Like everyone else!} Stel yelled.

  “I’m sorry!” I called out. “I just don’t want either of us to get seriously hurt!”

  I knew even if she succeeded in whatever she was trying to do, the Trap Cards I have set in my duel desk will protect me. And I also have the ones Brian set on me before we left for the exploration, but those will only activate if my life is in real danger, since Brian isn’t here to reset them if they activate.

  {Sorry?! You are Sorry?! You came not only to my world, but to my nd! Demanded unreasonable things! And then dare to say ‘Sorry’!} Stel roared, as she got back to her feet. {I’ve seen what you do! You are weak! The only way you can face me is with that beast of yours!}

  Stel didn’t gather light this time, instead just immediately sending out a massive pulse of heat. It wasn’t an offensive attack, since Chacu Challhua didn’t stop it, but my Trap Card did.

  Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell. It used a set Spell card I had as a cost to activate, but in return, it negated and sealed away the spell Stel tried to use, so she couldn’t use it again.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]{What?! How?! Can’t I … There must be something!} Stel kept screaming, and charged at me again.

  Naturally the charge couldn’t hurt me at all and I embraced her again, petting her softly.

  “I think I understand you.” I softly said to the fox. “You’ve been alone. Always. Isn’t that right?”

  {I am not Weak!} Stel roared.

  “Being with people isn’t weakness. It is strength. Strength of heart, of will, of knowledge. Everything. No one can keep going alone forever.”

  {I can!} The fox insisted.

  “... then why are you shaking?” I asked, as I felt the fox shaking in my arms.

  {Shaking … I am not …} She said, but her voice cked the fire it previously had.

  {I … am … not … shaking.} She continued, and the shaking of her body increased. {I never shake…} With those words, her shaking decreased a bit, and her muscles firmed. {Because I am the Strongest!} She roared, as she turned to fire and light in my hands.

  It wasn’t an attack, at least not in the traditional sense.

  The fire didn’t burn my skin and the light didn’t harm my eyes.

  But both began entering my body, and I felt as my body reacted. The base of my tails itched, as more tails began sprouting from my tailbone. My ears also burned, as they grew longer and more defined.

  I next noticed my hair. It had extended past its usual length, now almost reaching the ground. The color had also changed. My hair was purple, fading to a more blue color towards the ends, but now it has streaks of red and yellow in it.

  My body felt extremely powerful. I’m not exactly sure how powerful I am now, but I know I’m much more powerful than I previously was.

  And with all those reveals, I realized what Stel had done. She had entered a reverse union with me.

  (Haa! Your Body is mine!) I heard Stel inside my own head. (Now that monster you summoned will be mine as well, and with it, I really will be the strongest!)

  “No. You won’t.” I spoke to myself, but I know Stel heard me. “As long as you are alone, you will never be strong. I know that better than anyone. Because I was never alone, but I also was.”

  (Tell your sob story to someone else and hand over your body!)

  “No. You gave up on not listening when you did this. My body is mine to control, and since you are a part of me now, so are you.” As I said that, I moved my body so I could prove to Stel I was telling the truth.

  (For now. I will soon … take over? Wh-what? What is this? What am I seeing?) Stel questioned.

  “My memories.” I told her. I was forcefully recalling memories, because I had learned that if I did so while I was in a reverse union with a monster, that monster would see my memories. With them, I was trying to show to Stel that being alone isn’t being strong. It is being weak.

  And as I said, I’ve never really been alone. I’ve always had someone. Be it my mom, my brother, or Fer and Rum. I’ve always had someone by my side.

  But still, I was weak. Not weak where I felt useless or like I was worse than others, but I didn’t have true strength. Despite Fer and Rum being there with me, I would not call them companions in the same way as Einar and Eline are.

  I know Einar and Eline. I trust them completely and I know they will do what is best for us. And what is best for Brian. So with them, I can completely trust myself into their hands.

  And that trust is strength. More strength than any individual can ever hold. Except one.

  I began to focus on my memories of Brian. I wanted Stel to see his power. The power to be the best, the strongest, the undisputed most powerful being in any world.

  As those memories pyed, Stel inside me once again shivered. She was realizing just how weak she was. She wouldn’t stand a chance against Brian and his monsters. She couldn’t touch me, and Brian was much more powerful than I was.

  And then she saw what Brian did with all that power. The nothing he did with it.

  He didn’t funt it around, ciming he was the best. He made his own peace on a floating isnd, sending out his might to make the lives of those beneath him better. Protecting them from monsters they shouldn’t have to face.

  And most importantly, she saw how protective Brian was with those who he loved and cared for. So Stel was afraid. Afraid what would happen if she did manage to take over my body. Of what would happen to her.

  She knew the answer. Brian would annihite her, removing her from existence. After all, she was nothing but a beast that tried to take what he loved.

  So there was only one thing Stel could do. She surrendered. She realized that no matter what, she will lose. So by surrendering, she could maybe live.

  I let her. I accepted everything from her. I would make sure she would never be alone.

  And thus, we began to glow. The light from everywhere around us, the sky and the nd and the gem at the top of the mountain, gathered around us and formed a nearly perfect sphere covering our body.

  We could still see through it, so the st thing both of us saw was the Earthbound Immortal flying above us, and an airship that just stopped, and a person covered in energy flew out of it.

  Then we both fell asleep.