There's also the fact that Ignia blasted a hole through Selene, while a similarly abrupt attack from her couldn't do close to the same damage
I am honestly willing to give Selene benefit of doubt here.
Off guard attacks in FT have consistently been super effective and deal much more damage than if on guard.
Now the question is, whether such an off guard attack would work on Ignia. Likely not, for the following reasons:
- Ignia even spelled out loud he was going to attack, and it was from the front. Selene still got caught off guard
- Selene tried to sneak behind Ignia via teleport, no words or anything. Ignia saw it coming and dodged
- the way both were dealing with each others' attacks is also telling. Ignia facetanks and treats them as a challenge. While Selene teleports, dips in sea. Meaning, chances are, Ignia will just tank Selene's roar even if he gets hit by it off guard
The way the fight was carefully structured was very intentional from Mashima. Where he had Ignia treat it as a challenge and tanks Selene's attacks, while Selene prefers avoiding fighting Ignia and teleports/dips in water to deal with Ignia's attacks.
He rarely does this (Mashima usually bullshits in his fights in the spinoff).
Mashima does this only when he wants to preserve some portrayal - pretty much the only other character he did it in the spinoff was Suzaku, where he spelled out as clear as possible that Natsu didn't magically get tankier but needed to use his scales (i.e DF durability) to not get one shot, that Suzaku's speed was restricted in narrow walls, that Natsu needed to rely on Suzaku's footworks cause he is too fast for Natsu to react to.
There is a reason Suzaku scares all the Spriggan wankers here, cause they deep down knows he's one of the only few characters Mashima truly gives a damn about.
If Ignia vs Selene continued, Ignia would've high diff'd Selene.
Mashima ended it with a distraction, cause that's the only way for him to not humiliate Selene by having her lose clean, while also making it clear Ignia was stronger
Because flames usually can’t be put out until you wash or blow them away, and dragon fire can’t burn itself out, her attacks are moon base elements so wouldn’t have similar affect. It is stated repeatedly by multiple people that Dragon Gods scale to each other, and Ignia won through trickery in a temporary cease fire.
Characters have been tanking attacks from Natsu forever.
Ignia's flames are basically Igneel's flames, i.e Natsu's flames at a higher level.
If you are strong enough, you tank them and fight through it. Selene has to rely on teleportation and dippings.
