Aurianna gripped her palms and got up, "I don't want to lose to her, whoever she is, I want to be prepared to fight on equal footing with her!" She declared.
"Same, whenever I hear you guys talk about the old Diamond's strength, I can't help but feel like a mere ant in their eyes. Sometimes I even feel lower than an ant," Leila admitted, a wry smile twisting her lips.
Carol's voice was gruff, her words carrying the weight of experience. "Stop your whining, ladies. If you wish to become stronger, you must embrace the trials that lie ahead. Power is not gifted, but earned through sweat and blood," she intoned, her knuckles rough as she affectionately ruffled Aurianna's hair.
Aurianna's voice rang out with a fierce intensity, "Who said I was crying?!!" she bellowed, struggling to release herself from Carol's arm that suddenly appeared around her neck, but she couldn't budge.
"Let go!" Aurianna's voice was laced with frustration as she shouted, trying to wriggle out of Carol's grasp. But after several minutes of trying to escape and failing, Aurianna resorted to biting Carol, hoping to break free from her hold, but Carol remained unfazed by her antics.
"Hey, Aurianna and Leila," Carol spoke up, capturing the attention of both ladies. With a final pat on Aurianna's head, she released her hold, her eyes filled with a serious intensity. "Before you go chasing after strength, you gotta ask yourselves - what's the real reason behind your desire for strength and power?"
Aurianna's voice was quiet, but the words she spoke echoed with a dark, fierce intensity. "Why do I seek strength?" she muttered under her breath, a wicked grin stretching across her lips. "Because I refuse to be weak, to cower and cry like a helpless pathetic child like I did in the past. I refuse to be a damsel in distress, waiting for a knight in shining armor to rescue me from danger. I want to be the one who holds the power, who calls the shots in my life. I want to be the one who decides my own damn fate, destiny, and life!"
Her eyes blazed with a fierce determination as she continued. "I want power to break free from the shackles of control and oppression by others. The power to pulverize the living shit out of people who try to dominate me."
Aurianna's eyes glinted with a fierce determination as she spoke, "I get a thrill from fighting, the rush of adrenaline as I push myself to the limit. I crave that ecstatic feeling, the sensation of growth and power and I want to know how far I can reach," Aurianna gripped her palms.
"I don't want to live an idle life as a stupid princess who does everything everyone says like a puppet. I want to choose my own paths. And let's not forget, I want revenge! But it's not just about revenge. It's about proving to myself and to everyone else that I'm not just some princess who's all talk and no action. I want to show them what I'm capable of, that I can be a force to be reckoned with. And those who dared to cross me? They will regret it. I will show them that I am not to be underestimated, that I am a princess who is not afraid to get her hands dirty."
Aurianna's eyes glinted with a fierce, unbridled rage. She had been wronged in the past, betrayed and left for dead by those she once trusted. But she had revived, being lucky to be brought back from the brink of death, and now she was determined to make those responsible pay for their crimes.
"I will have my vengeance," she growled, her fists clenching tighter at her sides until they bled. "I will make them suffer for what they did to me."
Leila listened intently to Aurianna's words, her expression unreadable. "I can understand that," she said finally, her voice soft but firm. "The feeling of powerlessness..."
Carol turned to Leila with a curious gaze, her eyes shimmering with a hint of interest. "And you Leila, why do you seek to grow stronger?" she inquired, her voice laced with a somber tone. Aurianna, Neil, and Eva's eyes were fixated on Leila, waiting for her response.
Leila took a deep breath before answering, her expression determined. "I want to grow stronger so that nobody, I care about, ever dies on me again," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "Sure, I want revenge too, but more than anything, my ultimate goal is to be the ultimate destruction that everyone would unite and fight against. I mean, have you seen how people react to power? They're either sucking up to you or trying to take you down."
Aurianna let out a disdainful scoff, "That sounds so quirky," she sneered, but Leila didn't flinch.
Leila raised her head, her gaze piercing through Aurianna's. "You misunderstand me. Living in a world where everyone is constantly fighting against each other is a living nightmare. Those battles are all meaningless. But if I become the strongest person, everyone would fear me. As you know, people are afraid of something they can't control, so they'd rather eliminate it. So, I want to grow stronger to know my limits and to protect my friends and family from harm."
Aurianna sneered, her lips curling into a wicked smile. "That's all well and good, but spare me the poetic nonsense. I still can't get behind your motives. Wanting to be feared is also one of my objectives, but for you, you want to be feared in order to protect others? That's so lame. Why protect others when you can do everything for yourself?" Aurianna asked, raising an eyebrow, and Leila chuckled.
"Only looking at the negative aspects of life would not make living enjoyable. Occasionally you must appreciate the good things that also happen to you in life," Leila said, and everyone's eyes widened.
Leila's words echoed through the air like a haunting melody, a reminder of the light that still flickered amidst the darkness that shrouded their world. But Aurianna scoffed, her laughter ringing like shards of broken glass.
"Enjoy life?" Aurianna scoffed, her eyes glittering with a dark amusement. "And what is there to enjoy in worlds like ours? Where every day is a struggle just to survive?"
Leila's gaze never wavered, her expression resolute. "There is always something to appreciate, no matter how small. A kind word, a warm meal, a moment of peace. It is in those moments that we find the strength to carry on, to be happy and to hope for a better tomorrow."
Aurianna's expression twisted, her features contorted with anger. "And what good will that do? What good will a moment of peace do when we have enemies waiting to pounce on us from the shadows?"
Leila's smile was gentle, but her eyes burned with a fierce determination. "It will do us good because it will remind us of what we are fighting for. It will remind us that there is still hope, even in the darkest of times. And with that hope, we can find strength in what we want to accomplish."
Aurianna's eyes narrowed as she considered Leila's words. It was true, she had never stopped to appreciate the small moments in life, always focused on her next goal, her next kill.
The memory of her time in the dungeon crept up on her like a haunting specter. She was imprisoned in the dark, damp dungeon, with only the rats for company and the memory of the bright sun and blue skies a distant dream. She could feel the chill of the stone walls and the sickly sweet stench of decay even now. She was trapped in the dungeon, with barely any food to eat, or a good place to sleep. The stench was foul, and her body slowly succumbed to infections due to open wounds, causing her to wrigth in agony every night. Maybe, just maybe, there was something Leila experienced that differs from her outlook on life.
Aurianna's pout was in full effect while she crossed her arm and she defiantly declared, "Tch, I will do whatever I want," The group couldn't help but chuckle at her sassy attitude.
"Eva, can you help them get stronger ?" Carol asked with a smile.
Eva gave a thumbs up with a proud grin, "Give me ten to twenty years and you girls would become world destroyers, But I must warn you, the training will be grueling. Are you truly prepared for the challenge?" She asked with excitement in her eyes.
"Yes!!" Aurianna and Leila declared with determined looks.
"One thing to clear up, with Leila and Aurianna's stats. It's not normal, among all the other Diamonds they might beat them in terms of skill and stat power at the same level. So, you two should continue to work hard," Neil pointed out, and Aurianna beamed while Leila nodded in satisfaction.
"Yes, to think we had a good advantage," Aurianna cackled with a creepy smile.
"Since you girls have 36 more years left, let us go and fight some more monsters!" Carol declared, and Aurianna and Leila immediately lost the life in their eyes.
Aurianna complained, "We were just chatting, and now we have to fight more monsters? My feet hurt just thinking about it."
"Can't we just take a break and have some tea instead?" Leila groaned, rubbing her non-existent sore muscles.
"Tea won't make you stronger, ladies," Carol said, shaking her head. "But I promise we'll take a break soon. Just a few more fights."
Neil chimed in, "Since you two girls wield light elements, it would be a good idea to let them fight the Lightarcs. You know, those creatures made of pure light energy that could incinerate you in seconds." Neil suggested, and Aurianna and Leila's expression became more grave.
As Carol whisked Aurianna and Leila away with her mighty claws, she yelled out, "Let's go, Aurianna and Leila! And see you later, Neil!" She soared into the sky, leaving Neil and Eva behind.
Aurianna and Leila shot Neil a death stare as they were taken higher into the sky. Poor Neil was left scratching his head, unsure of what he had done to earn their wrath.
"Curse you, Neil!" the two muttered under their breaths as they flew further away from him.
"Did I miss something? Why are they so mad at me?" Neil asked himself, scratching his head.
"I think they just need some time to cool off," Eva replied with a reassuring smile before disappearing into a burst of golden light.
"Sometimes I feel like a grandfather babysitting brats," Neil sighed as he rubbed his temples.