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“However, you lack what’s known as the Heart of Dragons,” Luna stated disdainfully.

“I… don’t have the Heart of Dragons?” Princess Estelle was initially surprised and puzzled, but then she quickly composed herself and retorted with a sneer, “The Heart of Dragons is a privilege of the noble dragons. Are you suggesting that you, a mere hybrid of mixed bloodlines, possess it?”

“Of course.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“I’ve already told you so much, yet you still haven’t understood the reason why you lost to me.”

“The reason…” Princess Estelle’s pupils shrank momentarily before she regained her composure and scoffed, “What a load of nonsense. Your recent injuries must be troubling you so much that you have to buy time to heal.”

“Is that what you think?” Luna tilted her head to the side, then asked, “Why then did you not seize the chance to strike at me?”

Princess Estelle glared at her, clenching her fists so tightly that her claws emitted grinding metallic noises. After a moment of hesitation, she decided against attacking. “Who knows what you’re up to. This could be a trap. I won’t be fooled.”

“A trap? What a convenient excuse,” Luna taunted, laughing as she rubbed her palms together. “Haven’t you realized it yet?”

“Don’t try to taunt me!” Princess Estelle’s eyes flashed dangerously as she spoke through gritted teeth.

“Haha, you’re afraid!” Luna laughed teasingly.

“Ridiculous! Why would I fear you?” Estelle’s murderous intent intensified.

“Really?” Luna’s mouth curved into a slight smile, her eyes glinting with a cold light.

Princess Estelle’s eyes widened as Luna suddenly vanished and reappeared before her. Her fist was clenched and flying toward Estelle’s forehead with ferocious speed.

Estelle was shocked. She had not anticipated Luna’s abrupt shift from a smiling conversationalist to a deadly aggressor.

There was no time to evade.

A ruthless determination flickered in Princess Estelle’s eyes.

Although Luna was fast, she had exposed a critical vulnerability—her chest was unprotected.

Estelle realized that even as Luna aimed for her forehead, swifting gouging Luna’s heart could mean an equal exchange of lives in the worst case scenario.

With the protection of the Immaculate Tree Domain, no one was going to die for real in this match. In this situation, sacrificing herself to take Luna down seemed like a strategic move, likely tipping the scales in favor of her team.

As Luna’s fist loomed larger, bringing a tingling sensation of fist wind against her forehead, the chilling premonition of death… grew stronger.

A previously unrecognized fear, buried deep within Princess Estelle’s heart, began to surface, rapidly taking over her thoughts. She reconsidered. Her life was too valuable to be traded so hastily.

In the final moment, Estelle abandoned her plan to gouge Luna’s heart out. She quickly retracted her claws and crossed her arms defensively in front of her forehead, bracing herself to be plunged into the lake for the third time that day.

Yet, the expected blow never landed. Instead, Luna’s punch slowed, arcing through the air to bypass Estelle’s defensive arms, and coming to a halt right in front of her forehead.

Luna intertwined her fingers and delivered a sharp flick to Estelle’s forehead.

“OUCH!” Princess Estelle clutched her forehead in pain, glaring at Luna with a mix of indignation and surprise, only to be met with Luna’s teasing eyes.

She froze as if realization had just struck her. She stared at her hand in shock, momentarily forgetting her pain.

“I… I was actually… afraid,” she murmured.

“You finally get it now huh, you blockhead.”

Estelle looked up at Luna in disbelief, her voice trembling as she said, “So, I’ve lost because I’ve started to fear you?”

“That’s correct.”

“I’ve lost merely because of fear, even though I am superior in strength?”

“No, no, no,” Luna said while shaking her head. “First of all, my strength isn’t significantly inferior to yours. I’ve only comprehended the true essence of the Heart of Dragons and don’t find it necessary to transform into that grotesque form. Though, if the situation calls for it, I am fully capable of transforming. Secondly, ‘merely’ is not the right word to use here. For a mighty dragon, fear is the most dishonorable emotion. The moment you entertain even a hint of fear, you’ve already lost.”

“I see…” Princess Estelle slumped to the ground. The monstrous changes in her body receded as if washed away, returning her to her delicate human form.

“I’ve often wondered why I was defeated by you, but it never occurred to me that I have already lost from the start,” Estelle murmured, her expression filled with longing. “To be fearless… is that the true Heart of Dragons? A heart worthy of the supreme dragons… It’s truly…”

“Hold it right there!” Luna abruptly cut off Princess Estelle, her tone laced with confusion as she asked, “What did you just say about the heart of the dragons?”

“Fearless,” Princess Estelle replied, equally perplexed. “Is that not the case?”

“Of course not!” Luna exclaimed, her frustration evident as she stamped her foot. “When did I ever say that the Heart of Dragons is synonymous with being ‘fearless’?”

“But that was what you implied…”

“I did not!” Luna interjected, her exasperation growing. She glared at Princess Estelle, her gaze conveying a mix of disbelief and frustration.

“If’ ‘fearlessness’ is the essence of the Heart of Dragons, then Flathead would be the presence closest to a real dragon! He’s so fearless that he challenges heaven, earth, and even the gods, all without a hint of fear! Moreover, fear is an instinctive response, inherent in all creatures. It can’t be eradicated!”

Feeling somewhat mocked, Princess Estelle replied in an annoyed tone, “Enlighten me then! What exactly is the Heart of Dragons?”

“Hmph, to understand the Heart of Dragons, you must first comprehend why it renders a dragon invincible in battle!”

Princess Estelle frowned. “Isn’t it due to fearlessness?”

“Wrong! Completely wrong!” Luna said, waving her hand before Estelle. “Why do you think I managed to defeat you just now?”

Reflecting on their battle, Princess Estelle replied, “That’s because you were acting recklessly, like a mad dog…”

“So, do you think I was afraid at that moment?” Luna asked. Before Princess Estelle could respond, she answered the question herself, “Of course, I was afraid! And would I, Luna, feel pain? Of course I would! Did that make me run away though? Of course not! Then why didn’t I, who was both scared and in pain, run away from the fight?”

Luna kept moving closer to Princess Estelle as she spoke, until their foreheads were nearly touching as if they were on the verge of a kiss.

“What do you think?” Luna pressed.

“I… I don’t know…”

“See! That’s why you can’t surpass me. It’s not merely a matter of your strength being inadequate; your comprehension is also significantly flawed. You can’t even interpret the situation properly.”

Straightening up, Luna crossed her arms and struck a confident pose.

“I might be scared and in pain, but there’s a single reason I don’t run away… Both pain and fear are sensations that bring me pleasure. How could I run away when facing something that gives me such joy?”