21 The Echidna who Traumatises an Elemental Queen

After the short fluff moment she had with Fenrir and Elaine, Aria pondered her next course of action, or rather she already had one.

The Dryas', she promised them that she would return in a week, and today was the day. Now came the dilemma, the Dyas' and Treants had already seen her original form, but Ramiris hasn't.

At least face to face that is, after all, her image was shown during the Walpurgis for the Demon Lord's who weren't aware.

So comes the question; Should she tell Ramiris that she's Aria or not?

"W-why are you staring at me like that, Echidna?" Ramiris couldn't help but ask, the intense gaze from Aria just wasn't one she could ignore.

With a smile, the Echidna asked, "Ramiris, what would you do if I was Aria?"

Ramiris snorted at her question, giving a smug reply, "Even if you were Aria, I could easily defeat you with my fourty-eight special moves, no, actually, just my pinky would be enough."

"…."

Aria gave her a gentle smile, and started walking to her.

"U-uhm, why are you walking to me?" The Fairy Queen felt that something was wrong, "You know I was just kidding, right?" She added quickly, wondering if Aria was angry about what she said.

The Elemental Queen didn't have much time to think as something else caught her attention, "Huh? Is your skin getting rosier, Echidna? And your height? Wait, is that horns on your head?! Your ears…they're like a half-elf's! "

Ramiris backed away until she was against the wall, and once again took in all of Aria's features. Silver hair? Check. Three horns? Check. Indecent clothing? Check. Big boobs? A big check.

"Aria?!" Ramiris shouted in realisation, making the person in question smirk, and it grew even wider at the Elemental Queen's next words, "If she's here…Didn't I basically hide her away all this time? Doesn't that make me an accomplice?! No—"

Before Ramiris could think of a way to wash her hands with her, Aria grabbed her, "It does~ And what do you think will happen if the Demon Lord's find out~?" The Echidna whispered into her ears.

"Uhh!" Ramiris had nothing to say when it counted, so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "I-I don't know! Maybe we can just keep it between us?"

Aria's snake-like amber eyes gleamed with amusement as she observed Ramiris squirming under her gaze. "Oh, but secrets have a way of slipping out, don't they? Especially when it's you." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Trying to regain her composure, Ramiris managed to mutter, "I-I won't tell anyone, I promise!" She saw how Aria had effortlessly sliced through Milim's Drago Nova, it would be a death-wish for a little fairy like her if she went against her.

"You, the lonely Fairy Queen who has no one to talk to, I'm sure you will let it slip up just to keep a conversation going with someone." Aria mocked, she was enjoying herself right now, teasing Ramiris that is. And if it made Ramiris quite for two years, then it was good.

Ramiris felt her confidence waning, her thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind. Then, like a bolt of lightning, she remembered her good friend Guy! He would believe her, wouldn't he? With renewed hope, she reached for her Demon Ring, intending to seek assistance from the Lord of Darkness.

But before she could even touch the ring, a gargantuan shadow loomed over her. A towering silver serpent with one hundred heads, each crowned with a horn, and amber eyes gleaming with a mysterious light.

"Eh?" Ramiris gobsmacked, froze, as she stared Aria's monster form in trepidation and shock. 'What sort of abomination is Echidna? She feels like a True Dragon, Elemental Queen and Daemon! And the marks—!' The elemental queen averted her gaze to Aria's face.

"You see, Ramiris," Aria's voice reverberated, each head speaking with eerie harmony, which spooked Ramiris even more! "I'm not just any ordinary creature. I've devoured entire planets before, mercilessly consuming those who dared to cross my path."

Ramiris gulped, wondering if their planet was next. 'I'm sure Guy and Milim can defeat her, but for now, I'll take charge! My 48 special moves…I didn't think a time that I would have to use them would come.' Even in such a situation, the Fairy Queen still believed in her power.

"But," Aria continued, her tone carrying a hint of amusement, "I might spare you if you listen to what I have to say."

Ramiris nodded frantically, thinking that Aria might take her words back, though inwardly, her narcissism returned in full force, 'It seems she sensed her doom and decided to negotiate with the great Ramiris. I guess I can hear her out.'

The Mother of All Monsters' eyes narrowed in suspicion, why did she feel like she wasn't being taken seriously? "Nevermind, I'll just eat you."

Ramiris' narcissism immediately died down, "Lady Aria, please spare this lowly fairy, she'll give you indigestion!" She said, comically doing a mid-air dogeza.

"Pffft…Hahahaha~"

"Huh?" Ramiris who heard a burst of feminine laughter, raised her head, only to see Aria who was in her human form laughing her ass off, all while looking at her.

"…." The Fairy Queen was momentarily taken aback, before her brain rebooted, and she realised what hap just happened. She had been played!

"Oh, Ramiris, you should have seen the look on your face." Aria commented between fits of laughter, as her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"You... you tricked me!" The Elemental Queen sputtered, her cheeks flush with embarrassment. How could she show her face now! "Look! Even they are laughing at me." She pointed at the pixies who were flying around Aria, giggling.

"Don't worry~ They're basically kids." Aria waved her off, as she made her way back to Fenrir and Elaine who were staring at her in awe.

"Mother, your true form is as fearsome as before." Fenrir jumped into her arms, nestling against her bosom.

"Indeed, Lady Echidna, it was frighteningly beautiful." Elaine added, her eyes full of reverence.

"Hey! Shouldn't you guys be consoling little old me!" Ramiris flew over to them with an annoyed expression.

"Lady Ramiris, I'm sure you're not so easily scared about." Elaine said with an amused smile.

Ramiris had a satisfied smile when she heard her words, "At least someone knows."

Fenrir on the other hand just snorted in disdain.

"By the way," The Labyrinth Fairy tilted her head in curiosity and confusion, "What are you?"

"My race is the same as my name; Echidna." Aria stated plainly, seeing no reason to hide it, after all, only she could create more Echidna's.

'Now that I think about it, I haven't really been using my essence to the fullest. Well, there is the reason of not being tech-savvy, and my substance creation; I used that to create the Dryas' Cores. So that leaves turning people into monster's, and creating a lesser echidna. Should I create one?' The Mother of All Monsters' mused, focusing her attention on Ramiris.

"Echidna?" The Fairy furrowed her brows at the foreign word.

Aria nodded, the playful glint returning to her eyes. "Yes, Echidna. It's a name with quite a history in myths and legends, you know? Mother of All Monsters, they used to call me. Has a nice ring to it, wouldn't you say?"

"Mother of All Monsters?" Ramiris blinked, processing the information. "Wait, does that mean... you're like a super ancient being or something?"

Aria gained a thoughtful look at her question, remembering her stay in the starry void that had no concept of time, so she didn't know how longs she was there, so she said, "Well, you could say that I've been around for a long time, long enough to witness even the destruction of universe." She wisely kept the fact that she was the cause of the destruction to herself.

'And for some reason, all knowledge I got after popping that bubble is no longer in my mind.'

"As expected of Mother." Fenrir wasn't even surprised, in his eyes, witnessing the destruction of a universe was just another Tuesday for his Mother. Instead, he hoped to reach a level where he could cause such destruction.

Elaine nodded in agreement with Fenrir.

Aria smiled wryly, Fenrir was resembling Demiurge quite a bit, and if she knew of his genocidal thoughts, she wouldn't know if she should be worried or amused.

"I see…So since you're the Mother of All monsters, it's only natural that you could become something like a dragon." Ramiris muttered thoughtfully, her show of wisdom made Aria raise a brow in interest.

"More or less," The Echidna nodded, continuing, "Now, let me tell you why I disclosed my real identity to you."

Ramiris suddenly gulped, her mind coming with various scenarios, "You're not going to use me to get information about the Demon Lord's are you? Or ask me to summon an army of Elementals so you can lay waster to world, right?"

Aria rolled her eyes at the Elemental Queen's eyes wild thoughts, 'Did I traumatise her too much?'

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter.