The very moment that Leon and Ilyana laid their eyes on her, they understood that they couldn't defeat her. Flying over a destroyed planet without showing any sign of emotion, that woman controlled a horde of thousands of dragons that had hundreds of skills at the max level. Even though that Leon and Ilyana also had hundreds of skills at the max level, and they could use light, dark, and time magic, it was clear that they would have a hard time defeating one of those dragons.
"Sylas isn't with her…" Leon frowned. "Maybe only in my current universe, she decides to train him to become her ally. Still… she didn't show those dragons before… did Ilyana killed them all while they fought on Ilyana's planet?"
Regardless, even without using any skill to confirm that, that Leon and Ilyana froze on the spot when they realized the difference in power… it was like they were newborn babies hoping to defeat a powerful martial artist. Obviously, the black-haired woman noticed their arrival but only looked at them for a single instant before losing interest. They weren't opponents even worth to be killed by her. So, she suddenly disappeared without leaving a single vestige.
That Leon was the one who first recovered from the shock, only to see Ilyana showing an expression that was a mix of terror, fear, and ecstasy. That was one hell of an expression…
"Those dragons…" Ilyana muttered. "I recognize them…"
"Do you?" Leon asked, surprised. "All dragons are pretty the same for me,… with the exception of their colors."
"It was their presence…" Ilyana fell to the ground and hugged her knees. "It was the same presence of the dragons when the monsters first appeared on my world."
Just like that, Ilyana concluded that the black-haired woman was the one who released all the dragons on her planet. That Leon thought she was jumping to conclusions. Still, after living for so long and now considering that hypothesis, he also understood that dragons were way stronger than any other monster he had faced when Earth was on the first stage of the assimilation.
"I see now…" Leon muttered. "The Ilyana I know probably confirmed that after asking the black-haired woman when they talked, they acted as if they had faced together many times..."
"Seriously?" Leon massaged his eyebrows in surprise. "How two beings of different species can… forget about it…"
That Leon was playing dumb trying to act as if he had not noticed, but it was obvious. However, a problem appeared… Despite her condition, Ilyana changed a little. Finally, finding the being that made her lose so many of the people she cared about triggered in her the same dark feelings that Leon developed after running away from Earth.
"We have to hunt that woman," Ilyana said. "She may not be the core of all the problems we faced before, but she certainly is responsible for a big part."
"Well, I agree, but…" That Leon hesitated.
"But what?" Ilyana frowned. "We don't have any other option here."
"… Even if you are right, why should we risk ourselves against her?" That Leon asked. "If by some miracle we win, nothing will change, we will only feel good about themselves for a short while and then nothing. It isn't worth the risk anymore, Ilyana. Besides, soon you won't be in a condition to fight anymore."
Ilyana bit her nails and then looked away, she had been hiding the fact that she was pregnant, but only someone blind wouldn't notice that. Although they were both mages and could heal themselves, they couldn't treat the baby the same way they treat themselves. Get half-dead in the middle of a fight and then heal them could be deadly for a being so vulnerable.
"What are you suggesting?" Ilyana asked angrily. "You want to forget those who died and gave us the chance to be here?"
"No, but right now isn't a good time," Leon replied. "The difference in power is too big, and we also have to consider the baby. We are from different species, so we don't know what might happen. For the time being, let's focus on the kid, and we can resume our hunt in the future."
Ilyana was visibly exasperated. She knew that Leon was right, but she also knew that the black-haired woman was very powerful, and she was constantly getting even more powerful. There was no other reason as to why she would destroy other planets aside from making herself stronger, after all. After surviving this far, the idea of having a normal life wasn't something that Ilyana could accept, and that troubled that Leon deeply.
"As expected," Leon muttered. "This really is an alternate reality… that Ilyana is way too hot-blooded. I thought pregnancy makes most women more sensitive, but the same thing didn't happen to this one. Well… it is not like I have any experience in this matter."
Although that whole situation made Leon really uncomfortable because the mother of his first child was Ilyana, he wholeheartedly agreed that Leon was right. In his place, he would be done the same thing. Vengeance wouldn't grant them anything, but seeing a new life be born and then grown-up would, without a doubt, be a new light in their dark lives.