"Males are all simps"—this statement is regarded as an undeniable truth among the Azure Rathalos packs, and even among regular Rathalos. The males must fight each other, showcasing their strength to females while constantly offering prey as courtship gifts just to earn mating rights. Yet, they might still get cuckolded, because females don't mate just once during their estrus cycle. Even if the resulting egg is theirs, it may die before hatching, and the hatchling could be killed by other males—or even the females themselves.
For the Azure Rathalos, if a female loses her offspring during the nurturing period, a natural compensation—or survival mechanism—kicks in: she will quickly enter estrus again, calling for males to mate. This is why hatchlings must stay with their mother until they're large enough to leave the nest. Otherwise, they risk being killed by other Azure Rathalos—even other females may attack them to clear future hunting grounds for their own young. A single territory can only support so many apex predators—such is the brutal, bloody reality of nature.
To counter this, not only do females nurture their young for an extended period, but the fathers also establish themselves at the edges of the territory, patrolling and ready to fight off any sneaky rival males. They drive them away to prevent their own offspring from being slaughtered—and to avoid triggering the female's estrus again, restarting the vicious cycle of courtship battles. This is why hatchlings that survive their mother's care can grow to adulthood safely—and also why hunters occasionally catch a glimpse of a crimson streak flashing across the edges of the Wildspire Waste.
However, due to the theft of the egg, the female dragon is left with only one last hatchling. Unfortunately, this hatchling was mortally wounded and died during its first outing to practice foraging a few days ago, struck down by a Fatalis. Naturally, the female dragon, watching nearby, swooped down to engage in battle with the Fatalis. The aggressive nature of a nurturing female dragon is something no hunter wishes to face, not even a Fatalis, especially since both are ancient dragon species, with the Celestial Dragon holding the advantage of being in the air and its maneuverability. (Fatalis: Knock knock knock! Just when I dealt with a big one two days ago, now another small one appears! Are you forming a family rock band or what? Do you even want to survive as a dragon?)
As a mother who has already given birth several times, this adult dragon—specifically, an ancient dragon at the peak of physical condition, experience, and combat skills—quickly forced the Fatalis into a state where it could only rely on its regeneration ability to survive the relentless, reckless retaliatory attacks. This situation is also because the male dragon, guarding nearby while foraging, is present; otherwise… it would be a couple's doubleteam in imminent danger.
(The ecology of Fire Dragons is utilized here, explaining why hunters face the couple's double assault. The male Fire Dragon will protect the nearby territory after the female lays eggs. Discovering a hunter approaching the dragon's nest, it will naturally rush over to attack—much like how someone making noise outside a hospital delivery room would be confronted by the father, uncle, grandfather, or other relatives ready to teach a lesson.)
However, retaliation aside, it ultimately cannot bring back the fact that the entire clutch of eggs has been wiped out. The emotions of sorrow triggered the female dragon's endocrine system, once again leading to the secretion of hormones that signify estrus. As she flies, the scent is broadcasted, allowing surrounding male dragons to catch a whiff and maddeningly rush towards the area for the new round of aerial festivities.
However, there's a serious issue in the way to the venue: a rather tricky fellow. Not only does it fly high and fast, but it also has an impressive appetite. In the animal kingdom, a strong capacity to eat directly correlates with being robust in combat because being able to eat means you have sufficient foraging ability to acquire food. Sufficient food also means a body that is far stronger than your peers. This holds true for humans as well; an average person only needs about 2800 kcal for their energy needs, while professional athletes need around 12000 kcal just to maintain basic physical function.
Moreover, for Celestial Dragons, there's another criterion for determining whether a male can fight: it's the condition of its wing guns. The wing plates of an adult Celestial Dragon never stop growing, so they must continually strike and damage their wing plates to induce regrowth, ultimately forming long, spiked shapes resembling triangular spears. However, due to the frequent fighting among males, their wing guns also suffer breaks and regrowth in battles. Thus, a male dragon with longer and more intact wing guns indicates superior combat skills and practically no history of defeat.
Although her scales are a dark blue with a hint of purple, known as the hue of Azure Lotus, which indicates she is actually a female dragon, the elongated and more refined horns she possesses are quite unusual, especially since one part is damaged. Unlike the crown-like shape of male dragon horns, her wing membranes have also evolved beyond the slender form of a spear to resemble that of a great sword, implying that she has either never fought or has never lost a battle.
The former is nearly impossible, as even young dragons in the nest will fight among themselves. There are no siblings that would engage in combat with their mother. Although to humans this may seem like play, for animals, it is a way to learn combat skills and practice hunting and self-defense in the presence of their mother. Therefore, the only plausible explanation is that she has never lost a fight—whether against males or females, this is a terrifying prospect. If she has never lost to a male, then none of the male dragons that have gathered here would stand a chance at mating; if she has never lost to a female, it essentially means the same thing—none would have the opportunity to mate.
Furthermore, a crucial detail is that she does not exude the pheromones typical of female dragons, nor does she release male pheromones during estrus, so she could be a young dragon. But… if she is indeed a young dragon, then what is the mother dragon so worked up about in terms of estrus? The male Celestial Dragon that arrived first finds himself confused about what exactly this creature is. Nevertheless, to have any chance of dancing with that captivating female dragon, he must first pass through this creature's territory. In other words, for a Celestial Dragon with a strong sense of territory, it means they will have to engage in a fight with this opponent.
And all of this, the Celestial Dragon was aware of. However, as a young dragon, she simply didn't care about these matters and had no idea she had become a significant stumbling block for the male dragons preparing to win the favor of the goddess. She was a massive hindrance, indeed, because she flew so high that most of the male dragons couldn't catch up with her at all. In the realm of Celestial Dragons, being a male at such heights is a typical sign of youthful promise. Moreover, with her long, beautiful wing membranes and the crystal-like sheen of her scales, she perfectly fit the standard of being strong and handsome. Not only that, but her hunting skills were exceptional. The sheer amount of food she consumed each day indicated her extraordinary foraging ability—much like a self-made billionaire among humans, with wealth beyond measure. Among the gathering male dragons, she was practically a wall of despair!
Of course, once she matures and starts releasing female pheromones, she will transform into the quintessential rich and beautiful Celestial Dragon. During her mating period, there would be at least a double-digit number of male dragons lingering on the edge of her territory, all vying to be her devoted admirer. This is also why most hunters seldom attempt to tame ancient dragons or large dragon species, nor can they negotiate with them. The mere presence of such dragons is a catastrophe—like the current Celestial Dragon—once she matures, she will attract a multitude of male Celestial Dragons seeking to court her. When numerous ancient dragons gather in one place...
Not only will they be energetically fighting every day, but they will also compete to hunt larger prey, desperate to prove themselves as worthy admirers. The ecosystem of that area will be thoroughly devastated in a short time. And do hunters have any chance of communicating with a group of highly agitated male dragons during mating season to convince them to refrain from exercising their mating rights? Absolutely not. Just imagine trying to discuss such matters with a human male; as long as he's still breathing, he wouldn't agree. The urge driven by primal instincts is not exclusive to humans, and unlike the perpetually lustful humans, these dragons have a brief breeding season, during which they are uncontrollably aggressive and unable to hear anything else.
However, without the release of female pheromones—or with their presence being too weak—this Celestial Dragon became the object of observation and admiration for the other Celestial Dragons. "...So annoying~" She flew past a male Celestial Dragon, executing a perfect scissors roll, spiraling around it in a figure-eight pattern. The meaning of her movements among the Celestial Dragons was clear: "How dare you fly in my territory looking like that? You better get lost! If you don't leave, I'll smash your dragon head!"
These gathered male dragons had nearly depleted the fish in the area, which not only reduced the food supply for the Celestial Dragon but also led to them stealing the reserves she was raising in her own pond. Their behavior was becoming increasingly outrageous. To the other male dragons, this was her way of asserting her territorial rights and signaling that they were unwelcome. It was clear that unless they dealt with her, they wouldn't have a chance to dance with the goddess, so...
"Whoosh! Boom!" A loud explosion rang out in the sky. "Commander, it's bad! Celestial Hui is fighting with the other Celestial Dragons!" "I see it." Indeed, several ancient dragons were squawking above, creating sonic booms to intimidate their opponents, constantly comparing their climbing speeds while emitting piercing shrieks. From time to time, they would dive toward the human encampments, but it wasn't an attack on humans—they didn't have that kind of time. Rather, they were showcasing their strength and impressive attack postures to their peers.
"Bang!" A resounding boom more powerful than any male dragon erupted, and a dark blue shadow streaked past. The vortex from its wingtip almost destabilized a male dragon's stance. The young dragon quickly adjusted its wings, nearly pulling them straight up in a vertical ascent and then circling high above the dragon herd, as if a king surveying its subjects. In its amber eyes gleamed an air of disdain and contempt. "Could this be the Celestial Dragon King?" The hunters paused their work, standing at the edge of the encampment, watching the battle among the dragons above the sea.
"But it should be a female dragon, right?"
"Maybe it's part of the Celestial Dragon's courtship ritual." Aibo flipped to the historical records about Celestial Dragons. "Celestial Dragons have a characteristic of flying and competing for altitude during courtship—male dragons will try to fly above the female to demonstrate their strength and defeat all rivals."
"Is it the mating season for the Celestial Dragons?"
"No..." Aibo's face turned a bit pale. "It's the breeding season for Celestial Dragons, and the only explanation for a Celestial Dragon being in heat at this time is... it has lost its offspring." Every hunter understands the aggressiveness of a female dragon that has lost its young, and even those who don't can deeply realize it by fighting with Blackhorn Dragons in the wasteland.
"What does this imply?"
"It implies that there won't be male dragons guarding the borders to deter competitors. All the male dragons will gather here because this is a... abnormal heat. Normally, male dragons would confront rivals and hunt prey along the way. This preparation takes a long time—it's said that male dragons spend a third of their lives preparing for courtship. But now, it's different; they have no preparations, which means they will all converge here to hunt for gifts to present to the female dragon..."
"An ecological disaster!" the swordsmanship master lamented. "So, should the capture plan for Celestial Hui (the new name for Tianhui) continue?"
"Temporarily canceled. If we proceed, we might be attacked by a horde of ancient dragons, all of which are... driven by primal instincts in a reckless life-and-death struggle, a terrifying situation that could level half a nation. A single starbase wouldn't be able to withstand it."
"But we can't just leave it be, can we?"
"Then we'll help reduce their competitors." In simple terms, this means hunting Celestial Dragons, chasing off a portion of the weak or injured ones, and injuring any that aren't hurt. Then the strongest male dragon can quickly eliminate its rivals.
As for the question of whether to capture the Celestial Hui later... it is definitely something that needs to be done. We must confirm if it is pregnant. If it is, then we have to figure out how to resolve the issue, because otherwise... a single large one is already a gluttonous creature. If it gives birth to a batch of young, it wouldn't just consume the New World; at the very least, there would likely be a biological extinction event in the area where the hunters are located, especially with the presence of the Ether Light.
The crystal issue is becoming increasingly troublesome. If it lays eggs and the eggs hatch in large numbers under the influence of the Ether Light... let's not go into too much detail—just having 1/3 survive means there would be 10 young dragons. To feed those 10 young dragons, the mother would have to go on a frantic hunting spree, and the combat power and aggression of a nurturing female dragon... it wouldn't be surprising if she added large flying dragon species to her list of targets.
Then, due to the Celestial Dragon's frenzied hunting, other flying dragon species would flee the area, invading the territories of other dragon species, such as the Fire Dragons. The situation would become uncontrollable— it would be akin to the chaos caused by the Celestial Returning Dragons— where swarms of monsters from the New World could completely obliterate an encampment during this wave of migration.
Not to mention if the Ether Light causes the young dragons to grow rapidly or if they become like the Celestial Hui, with hardened wing membranes that render slashing attacks ineffective... then this issue might have to be escalated to the most urgent matter at hand. In simple terms, it is an "Emergency Mission: The Disruptor of the Sky Dance!"