Heaven, Earth, Me

In the middle of the space cleared by Yasenia's and Soluna's contract initiation, multicolored lights surrounded the dragoness. Yasenia's hands didn't move. They stayed over her navel as if they were trying to prevent the core that sunk into her from escaping.

Once Soluna's entire core was placed into the dragoness's body, it was sucked into her dantian without a single chance to resist.

For Soluna, the experience was anything but pleasant. At first, she felt terrified, but Yasenia's hands calmed her down. However, once she entered Yasenia's body, there was a change in the atmosphere surrounding her.

Soluna felt, without any inhibitions, all the auras dwelling inside the dragoness.

First, she was cozy, then, as if she had been placed inside a cage full of beasts, several auras pressured her from everywhere around the entire space she was in. 'What are these auras!?'

For now, she didn't know that almost every treasure inside Yasenia, because of their terrifyingly high level, had a certain level of sentience. They would not be considered intelligent items, but they had instincts and could react to things.

Soluna's presence was naturally something they noticed, so the second she entered, they all focused on her. The Immortal-Level Techniques, Draconic Heart, Celestial Pearl, and almost everything else turned their attention to her.

So, before she could do anything, the Dantian sucked her inside. The pulling force was strong enough that, even when Soluna was fully conscious and capable of exerting force, she was helpless.

However, Soluna knew that it wouldn't be easy. Tatyana's warnings were not empty threats. On the contrary, for Soluna, who was a relatively old existence, she knew how the long-lived thought.

When a very long-lived creature said that something was difficult, it meant that it was somewhat difficult for someone with their standards. For other people, it might very well be an impossible task.

Considering how strict Tatyana was with Yasenia, Tatyana's "Very difficult" was a ridiculously complicated challenge to overcome.

Soluna was not afraid, though. While the auras pressuring her were strong, they felt wild and yet restrained, as if a force were suppressing them. This force that was everywhere was none other than Yasenia's constitution, [Celestial Yin and Yang Body].

But for Soluna, instead of suppressing, the aura around her felt supporting. Not only did it support her, but the energies went into her core and reorganized how she controlled her Sun and Moon energy.

Feeling surprised, Soluna felt how her wild and about-to-burst energies were gently and gradually stabilized. A flash of understanding flashed in her eyes as her consciousness shifted through strange spiritual layers, and she was transferred into the Dantian. 'Yasenia's constitution is much more powerful than it appears to be. It seems that the reason she can mix so many energies and use everything she does at will is entirely because her constitution allows her to.'

Soluna heard that Yasenia practiced without using her constitution from time to time, and only now did she understand why Yasenia felt the urge to do that. 'No wonder she wants to practice without using her constitution effects. They are really overwhelming regarding her energy control. With it, it is like being guided by the hand as she practices. While it is effective, learning to walk by herself will create better results in the long run. After all that, Yasenia will be able to run at her pace while using her Constitution as a boost, and not the opposite.'

After a few moments, her vision flickered, and the entire world around her shifted.

Before her eyes, an empyrean and supremely beautiful solar system appeared.

In the center, a Galaxy-blue star surrounded by a black-colored energy ring glittering with starlight hovered and spun at a gentle pace.

The presence emitted by that star was incredibly profound and suppressing, as if that thing was the ruler that governed this entire space.

Then, planets created from entirely different energies orbited individually, all entangled in the powerful gravitational pull of the smallest yet most powerful celestial object in this space, the [Celestial Energy Star] that she spotted at first.

The auras of all planetoids were focused on her, scanning her all around, while the strong blue star in the middle seemed indifferent to her presence. Yet, just its existence was enough to make Soluna feel meek.

Soluna, in her core form, was not much different from all the rest of the planetoids orbiting the [Celestial Energy Star]. If she had to say that something was different, it was her aura.

Soluna felt like a foreign object that had appeared here, while everything else felt linked to a single entity, which was Yasenia. 'What do I need to do now?'

Soluna was guided here, but usually, a contract between a spirit and another creature finished when the spirit managed to enter the Dantian.

In Soluna's case, the trial was just starting. As she observed her surroundings, she could feel that the entire place was surrounded by gas-like energy. The energy felt different from the oppressive star in the middle but with some very faint resemblance.

'This must be Yasenia's energy, right? It is so incredibly pure.'

As her core was surrounded by Yasenia's ocean of energy, she could easily feel the supreme energy quality that the dragoness produced. 'How does she produce such pure energy?'

Her gaze moved around the solar system and landed on a particularly dark sphere. The sphere's brilliant black surface constantly absorbed and released energy, causing it to glow enchantingly. The energy it absorbed was the energy that came from the outside, while the one it released was the purified energy that she could feel as she shifted around. 'Speaking of which, where am I moving to?'

As she followed the trajectory of her journey, she became terrified. 'W-Won't I fall into that blue star at this pace?!'

Suddenly, Taytana's words flashed in her mind, and her entire core felt as if it was submerged in freezing water. 'Death…'

Soluna finally felt what that meant. She could imagine what would happen if she fell into that blue star. The image of her core disintegrating and being consumed was vivid in her mind.

Panicking slightly, Soluna's thoughts rapidly moved. 'I need to resist.'

Using her entire will, Soluna used her energy to spread an aura around her. However, that was a mistake. The second Soluna resisted, the aloof and calm Celestial Energy Star awakened.

Like a primordial beast opening its eyes, the entire place was instantly surrounded by the Celestial Energy Star's domain.

BOOM!

The feeling of a bomb exploding in her head made Soluna dizzy and unable to control her own core. What was worse was that the falling speed accelerated.

Then, as if that was not enough, every other treasure in the Solar System directed its aura at Soluna, suppressing her further.

With the monstrously strong auras inside Yasenia's Dantian being directed at her, Soluna felt like her core would crack and explode under pressure. 'No, it's not a feeling.'

Crack!

The sound of her core gaining a fissure echoed around her entire being, making Soluna want to scream in pain for the first time in her life. The agonizing feeling of her existence cracking under pressure was a pain that no creature would be able to resist.

BOOM!

Her aura exploded outward, trying to push against the pressure surrounding her in fear and agitation. 'I don't want this! I don't want to die! I don't want to be consumed!'

Soluna's frantic resistance was nothing but worthless. In front of the Celestial Energy Star and every other treasure, she was but a speck of Sun and Moon energies.

Her core spiraled down, getting closer to the Celestial Energy Star while cracking sounds occasionally resonated inside of her as her being was shattered.

The harmonized core that Yasenia's constitution managed to stabilize was soon a mess of agitated and frantic energies. Soluna's ever-growing fear while being slowly devoured was the most intense in her life.

For the first time, the terms "defeat," "death," "despair," and "anxiety" were affecting the Empyrean Spirit. Worse, they were all overwhelming her soul at the same time.

Like a person underwater wanting to take a breath, a suffocating feeling enveloped her as her chance to escape or resist was mercilessly suppressed. 'Help! Yasenia, help! Please, I don't want to die!'

The cries of the spirit reached nowhere. After all, all the auras suppressing her isolated her existence.

However, she didn't need to scream for help. Since the beginning, Yasenia never intended to let Soluna die.

As the dragoness said, Soluna was the companion she had been waiting for. Moreover, she came early in her life, which would make their connection profound in the long term.

Hence, while Soluna was struggling and flailing around, the voice of the dragoness penetrated her core like spring water to a person dying of thirst.

Like the sweetest of melodies, Yasenia's words echoed in Soluna. 'Soluna, don't resist. Remember, we are trying to make a contract and connect to each other. If you resist, we are not making a connection; we are still two individuals. Allow my everything to surround your everything, allow my being to envelop your being, allow my energy to mix with yours.'

Soluna answered, like a child that was confused and afraid. 'I don't want that! I want to leave! This is too scary!'

Yasenia's soothing voice echoed in her again. 'Soluna, my little companion, trust me. Remember how you felt when I grabbed you? Remember how you felt when I hugged you? Remember how my aura enveloped you at first?'

Soluna's messed-up mind flashed with certain feelings she forgot in her current state. She remembered the feeling when she first saw Yasenia, the sensation of her hand landing on her head for the first time, the sensation of being enveloped in a hug for the first time.

Everything slowly came back to Soluna, and when there was just a quarter of the journey left for her to fall into the Celestial Energy Star, her core stopped resisting. Naturally, this accelerated her fall.

However, contrary to what Soluna expected, the pressure around her lessened. She forgot about the terrifyingly powerful star wanting to devour her and closed off all her senses but the sense of energy.

As a spirit, her connection with energy was impeccable, one of the best among all living beings.

With those powerful senses, she could feel that beyond the oppressive auras from the treasures, there was something enveloping everything.

Yasenia's constitution.

The first thing that touched her core when she entered the dragoness.

The feeling of peace and harmony was all-encompassing. Like a wave of purifying aura, her fears lessened, her anxiety disappeared, her desperation cleared, and her pain soothed.

Once Yasenia's being enveloped her, Soluna opened her gaze and looked forward.

As she expected, she was still falling into the Celestial Energy Star. Her speed was too fast to slow down before that occurred.

However, she was strangely not afraid. Yasenia's smile, Yasenia's embrace, everything flashed in her mind, and immeasurable trust bloomed in her heart.

Resolute, Soluna allowed her body to be pulled forward, and right after, she was swallowed by the Celestial Energy star.

*************************************************************

Author: BAM! Cliffhanger. Hehehehe.

The rest: …

Yasenia: This one was done maliciously. I can feel it; the sadistic side of the author is showing!

Author: Even if you praise me, you won't receive plot armor! Work for your things!

Yasenia: Whatever you say.

Author: Anyways, I summon you!

Andrew Miles: Well, hello~.

Andrea: Welcome.

Tatyana: Hm? How many questions does he have in line?

Author: … Six.

Tatyana: Wow~. Great, are there any for me?

Author: Nope.

Tatyana: … I see.

Andrew Miles: *Feels a sudden chill*

Andrew Miles: Cough, anyways. This question is for the little spirit that's going through quite a hurdle! Soluna~.

Soluna: *Cutely* For me?

Andrew Miles: Hm. For you, cute spirit.

Soluna: Okay! I'll do my best!

Andrew Miles: Soluna, what were your first impressions of Cecile, Angel, Andrea, Evelyn, Kali, and Tatyana?

Soluna: My first impressions? Hm…

Soluna: "Oh, talented flesh creatures!"

Andrew Miles: …

The girls: …

Proofreaders: …

Author: …

Soluna: W-What's wrong? I'll tell you this! It is rare to see flesh creatures with control over energy like them!

Soluna: *Points at Tatyana* Especially Tatyana! Our Darkness spirit almost jumped forward!

Tatyana: But I don't have darkness as my element.

Soluna: But your yin is super pure! So, the darkness spirit was very attracted to it. You are lucky she hasn't licked you yet!

Tatyana: Lick… No. I'm not lucky. She is the lucky one for not doing so yet.

Soluna: Hmmm… Perhaps.

Andrew Miles: I mean, personality-wise, what did you think of them as first impressions?

Soluna: *Tilting head* I don't know. What do you even think of as first impressions personality-wise? Cecile is too cold, Tatyana is too mysterious, Kali feels gentle, Angel feels non-existent, Andrea feels gentle as well, and Evelyn feels shrewd.

Andrew Miles: Angel feels non-existent?

Soluna: I don't know. Her aura felt like… As if she wasn't there. Later, I found out that she is super cute!

Andrew Miles: I see~.

Author: And that's all for today~. Bye-bye, little lurkers~!

Girls: Have a good day!

Proofreader Eila-chan~: Heyy! Andrew with the question we all have in our heads~.

Proofreader Ayan: Another cliff? Any further transgressions and this sovereign will go on strike~. Hmph~.

Proofreader Sarah: How many cliffs wil there be until this streak will end..?