Clever Mono, Mi

(Miluno)

Strength was tied to Dark Energy.

With most of her darkness drained away, the Ice Dragon's struggles slowed. Even the blizzard that had been raging nonstop finally died down completely.

"Still... not enough..."

Mono had taken control of my body. Though she could barely string words together, she still clung tightly to the dragon's back, drawing the remaining black mud from the crystal that served as her heart.

"Wait! Keep sucking her dry like that, and she'll fall into the Black Pool again!"

I had no desire to fall in with her. My ever-reliable sixth sense told me that the Black Pool was no ordinary black mud.

Floating in the sky without wings?

I had no idea how that worked, but once her Dark Energy ran dry, she would fall sooner or later. She might not even be able to maintain her dragon form.

Fortunately, Mono had gotten considerably smarter... at least she could understand words now.

"Yaaaaah!!"

She climbed along the dragon's body to her tail, then defied the laws of physics by throwing the Ice Dragon through the air, clear of the Black Pool, and slamming her onto the ground in front of Ceruno.

What kind of monstrous strength was that...?

No, wait. What had she braced herself against in midair to pull that off?

Whatever the mechanics, the result was plain to see.

Having barely regained her senses, Mono easily brought down the Ice Dragon who had given everyone such a hard fight. That throw even knocked her out of her dragon form, turning her back into Miss Ice Dragon.

"Miluno! Dad!"

Ceruno hurried over, but Mono clearly hadn't had her fill. She remained sprawled over the Ice Dragon, sucking out her Dark Energy.

Thin streams of black mud seeped through the gaps in the ice