Chapter 277 Provoking the Dragon
With determination in my heart, I altered my approach. Instead of trying to engage Galliadra in a direct confrontation, I decided to tap into the psychological warfare that had proven effective against Calishora. If I couldn't defeat her physically, I would aim for her emotions and exploit the chinks in her mental armor.
'Octavia, I'm switching tactics. I need you to feed me information about Galliadra's past, her memories, and anything that might stir emotions or doubt in her. Let's see if we can exploit the emotional vulnerabilities hidden beneath her draconic exterior,' I conveyed through our mental link.
'I'll do my best, but it won't be easy. Her mind is heavily shielded, and accessing her memories may provoke a stronger response from her,' Octavia warned, and I nodded, ready for the challenge.
As I continued to evade the relentless energy beam, Octavia delved into Galliadra's memories, searching for anything that could potentially sway her allegiance or at least distract her momentarily. The cosmic storm around us became the backdrop to this mental battle, an arena where willpower clashed with emotions.
Images flashed through my mind – glimpses of Galliadra's experiences, her interactions with Tiamat, and moments that defined her long existence. I sifted through the memories, looking for emotional triggers that might resonate with her. Meanwhile, Galliadra continued her relentless assault, seemingly unfazed by my attempts to probe her past.
Suddenly, a barricade slapped between our minds, and a vision of Tiamat filled my view. I had expected this, but I had left the connection open for her to come to me. Unfortunately, she didn't take the bait.
'So, you think that you can look for weakness? You think that I would let you infect another one of my children? Who do you think that you are dealing with, Bright One?' Tiamat asked me calmly in my mind with a smirk on her draconic face.
I had to keep moving since the attacks from Galliadra weren't stopping. 'I see that you are doing well, Lady Smelly Crack!"
'What did you just call me? Do you not understand your position here?" Tiamat growled at me, then tipped her snout up. "You cannot win against Galliadra. Even if she stops her beam, and your body can withstand the time dilation, she will slow you down too greatly. You will die before your body ever has a chance to react!"
I almost wanted to laugh out loud, but this is what overconfidence does to a person. Currently, I was at least three times stronger than when I fought Calishora, but that was thanks to being so close to the sun. The plan was to make them think that this was my maximum current strength, and it seemed to be working, probably.
'Thank you, Great Queen Needs a Cat... Or is it a Pile of Scat? I always get your name mixed up! Anyways, what's up? Just here for a mental chit chat while I steal your girl?" I taunted, trying to get her to bridge the gap to try and mentally attack me. Sadly, she seemed to have learned a thing or two from our previous exchanges and didn't engage me like before.
'You underestimate the power of Tiamat. You may have swayed one of my daughters, but Galliadra is a different matter. She is resolute in her loyalty, and your attempts to manipulate her emotions will prove futile,' Tiamat asserted, her voice dripping with disdain.
I kept moving, evading Galliadra's attacks while maintaining the mental banter with Tiamat. 'You know, I've always wondered – is being a tyrant and controlling others really fulfilling? You've had eons to rule and command, yet your children are rebelling against you. Is that the legacy you want to leave?'
A low growl echoed through the mental space. 'You dare question my choices? You, a mere mortal with a fleeting existence. I am the True Goddess and my rule is absolute.'
'Funny, you say that, but your daughters seem to be finding their own paths. Calishora chose love over blind loyalty, and now I'm here, offering Galliadra a chance to break free. Your grip may not be as tight as you think,' I retorted, hoping to plant the seeds of doubt in Tiamat's mind.
'Not every version of yourself is good, and some are even useless. If I can say anything about what happened with Calishora, it showed that side of me was too weak. Her mass was less than a single planet. Do you understand just how little of me was lost to learn such a valuable lesson? A single drop of my blood will create another version of me, replacing her, forever,' Tiamat explained as I tried to get closer to Galliadra, but failed time and time again.
Something about this felt very off. Tiamat sounded far more like the Goddess I had expected her to be, not so childish as in my previous talks with her. It was almost like she had been playing me this entire time. She had let me think that I held some kind of advantage.
'That is a fair assessment of things,' Octavia echoed in my mind, snapping me from my worries. 'There is a good chance that is exactly what she has been doing. The fact that you were able to get even one part of her on your side is impressive, but I think it was only because she underestimated you.'
And now the tables we turned. Still, I had no choice but to continue with my plan. Death was not the end for me, but this was not painting a pretty picture of the future.
I forcefully cut off the connection to Tiamat and pulled some distance from Galliadra. 'I guess that I am just going to have to go for it, but I do think we will have a better chance with Venus to defeat Galliadra. I will try to get closer, but I think we'll be dead if I get within a kilometer of her. They have been playing with us, and I am sure Tiamat wants her to kill me as soon as possible.'
'Do you have any other plans?' Octavia asked, and I mentally laughed.
'Hope that you can feed me enough data before I let the storm take over. I have no planet to control here, so most of my powers are useless without material. I am going to have to hope that letting the Great Red Eye loose on her will at least do some kind of damage. You will be sent back to earth, but memories and energy will be sent back to the next body, and I can plan a better counterattack from there,' I explained, and I felt Octavia nod.
The plan wasn't perfect, but things were not looking good. Galliadra was not even trying from what I could tell, just belting out a constant stream of cosmic energy. What would "trying" look like?
'How long will you fly around like an... what do you call it? Insect?' Galliadra taunted, trying to reverse the tables on me.
Her words fueled my determination. It was time to execute the next phase of my plan. I needed to get close enough to Galliadra to unleash the power of the storm within me. My mind raced as I plotted my course through the chaotic cosmic storm.
"Hey, Galliadra! Is that the best you've got?" I taunted, drawing her attention. "I thought you were supposed to be a powerful dragon, not some oversized cosmic fire hose!"
Her eyes narrowed, and the intensity of the energy beam increased. I could feel the heat and pressure building as I skillfully maneuvered through the storm, dodging the relentless assault. Galliadra seemed to be getting more frustrated, and that was exactly what I wanted.
'Keep her attention on you, Daniel. I'm almost done gathering the necessary information,' Octavia informed me through our mental link.
I continued to play the part of the elusive target, leading Galliadra further away from the sun. The cosmic storm created a mesmerizing display of celestial chaos around us, but I remained focused on my goal. As Galliadra pursued me, I seized the opportunity to speak directly into her mind.
'Galli, is this really what you want? To be a puppet controlled by Tiamat, endlessly spewing energy without purpose? There's so much more to life than blindly following orders. I've seen it in your sister, Calishora. She found a way to break free, to choose her own path. You can too.'
I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try. Galliadra's response was a surge of anger that resonated through the mental link.
'You dare compare me to that weakling? I am a loyal servant of Tiamat, and my purpose is to fulfill her will!' she roared in my mind.
As Galliadra's frustration grew, I detected a shift in her focus. It was a subtle opening, an opportunity to close the distance without being immediately obliterated by the constant energy barrage. Taking a deep breath, I made my move, darting toward Galliadra with all the speed I could muster.
'Now, Octavia!' I mentally shouted, and the lights went out as I gave up control of my body, and Octavia's energy was shot back to earth.
Daniel's body stopped, and Galliadra's beam of cosmic energy slammed into him. Instead of incinerating him, the cosmic energy was absorbed directly into his body. Galliadra stopped her breath and focused on the insect that should have been dead.
His body was covered in red energy that flickered off him like a burning flame, and he was looking at his hands with a strange expression.
'What was going on?' Galliadra mused.
Within Daniel's body, the Great Red Eye was getting used to the feeling of having a body. The energy he had just received felt good, thanks to the proper calculation the Eye and Octavia had made just before the switch.
"Who are you?" Daniel's body asked out loud.
Even in the empty void of space, Galliadra heard it clearly. Something was different about this creature now. 'Mother? What is this thing?'
Tiamat was silent for a moment before responding. 'It is old, but even this change is not enough to defeat you. Stick to the plan. Even if we kill Daniel, he is no different than you. He is a part of Star Child, just like you are part of me. Your mission is to make sure that Earth, and every human on it is destroyed,' Tiamat responded, before another long pause.
'I can't kill him, but as he has done to me, I shall do to him. Take everything from him, destroy every scrap of earth and its people. As much as I want him to suffer, I do not want to give the Gideon anymore than they will have already gained. I also expect them to leave before we get there, but Korrenka will hunt them down,' Tiamat instructed, and Galliadra mentally nodded, turning her focus back to Daniel.
'It will be done, Great Mother of All, Tiamat.'
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