Crimson Eternal - Book 5 - Chapter 54

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Don't mind this fluff. It's so that free readers can't click on the link.
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Click on the following link for the 1409 word chapter 54:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zhnmTjsBmgKr4vbeANGoiOpPH8U6cM_YscBNuO2EwqA/edit?usp=sharing

Or you can read the unformatted version below:

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Aria

I decide to go ahead and try attacking him with my swords. But that doesn’t end up doing much of anything when he literally blocks my sword strikes with his forearms. Not even bothering to use a weapon.

Then he slaps me on the shoulder, sending me flying across the arena to slam into the barrier.

Yeah, that was to be expected.

I climb to my feet while brushing off my shoulder where he slapped me. Following which I turn towards him while putting one hand in my pocket and holding the other up to snap my fingers.

And the moment I do that, hundreds of rifts into the Plane of Death open up all across the arena. Where thousands of Death Spirits of varying stages leave the Plane of Death.

I put my other hand in my jacket pocket as well before sitting back and watching as my death energy clashes with Pestilence’s pestilence energy while my Death Spirits rush him.

After a brief pause, Pestilence begins summoning his own Pestilence Spirits to fight off my Death Spirits. And the ones he summons are higher grade spirits than mine.

The only reason mine still put up a good fight and even win in some cases against his is that Death Spirits are the most powerful of the spirits. So generally a Death Spirit of any grade is stronger than a Pestilence Spirit of one grade above it.

At the minimum.

Some are stronger than Pestilence Spirits of two grades above it.

But the biggest difference between Death and Pestilence Spirits are their element.

Death Spirits are made of death energy, therefore they cannot die.

Pestilence Spirits are made of pestilence energy, therefore they cannot be weakened. Just like Famine Spirits.

But Pestilence Spirits can be killed. Even if they can be healed through spending pestilence energy.

Although there’s pretty much an infinite number of Pestilence Spirits for him to summon, just like there’s an infinite number of Death Spirits for me to summon. The only difference is that I don’t have to summon new ones, so my death energy price is a bit cheaper than his pestilence energy price.

Not that it really matters when we both have a practically infinite amount of energy.

Anyway, our two forces begin to clash in earnest. All while our energy clashes in the center of the arena.

Despite what’s practically an entire war going on in the arena, I continue standing at the edge of the arena with my hands in my jacket pockets. Meanwhile Pestilence just stands with his hands held to his sides and his lab coat billowing in the energy around him without taking his gaze away from me.

This battle would probably look a lot more intense and cool if I wasn’t in the form of a child.

The bright side is that I can already feel the age reversal wearing off. Making me visibly age and grow larger. To the point that I’m already a teenager in appearance about an hour after being hit by it.

Of course, every time Pestilence tries to write notes about it, I make damn sure to destroy whatever he’s using to take notes. Pissing him off in the process.

But I don’t care. We didn’t make any deal this time, so I’m not letting him take notes off of my suffering. And especially not in the middle of a battle.

“If you want to take notes, then pay up,” I bluntly declare without taking my hands from my jacket pockets.

Pestilence blinks at that before saying, “I will cancel my current experiments in exchange.”

I blink at that before stating, “And?”

I swear I see a vein throb in his forehead, but that might just be my imagination as he continues, “I will cure those affected by my current experiments.”

“Deal,” I answer with a smile. Meanwhile the audience roars its applause as Pestilence snaps his fingers, making a wave of pestilence energy flood out of the barrier and out of the dimension. Most likely going to stop his experiments and cure whoever is affected by them.

After a few seconds of the audience roaring its approval, Pestilence states, “It’s done.”

Without hesitation, I pull my hand out of my pocket and hold my arm out in front of me to turn on my terminal and make a holographic screen appear in front of my face. One showing news sites, where news about all the current Pestilence stricken planets suddenly undergoing change. With all the people stricken by Pestilence recovering at the same time.

“It’s been confirmed,” I say with a smile. “Deal is complete. Go ahead and take your notes.”

He nods his head as his anger rapidly fades, returning to that indifferent expression he normally has. Apparently already having put his anger at me behind him.

And, of course, he doesn’t hesitate to pull out another notebook to take notes on.

Not that it matters much since his age reversal is already almost gone as my appearance is back to the late teens already. So it’ll probably only take another like ten to twenty minutes before I return to my normal appearance of my early prime.

Of course, not long after I think that, Pestilence uses another orange wave of pestilence that reverts my age again. Turning me into a child once more.

Oh. Right.

He can just do it over and over again.

This guy really wants to perfect that age reversal thing, doesn’t he?

On another note, while I was checking the news, I couldn’t help but notice news about his age reversal thing. Which makes me realize that he’s never actually shown it in public before.

Despite the number of times he’s reverted my age.

I frown at the thought of people trying to ally with Pestilence just for a chance to revert their age. But after a moment, I realize it probably won’t happen.

Pestilence doesn’t give a shit after all.

The only thing he cares about is his experiments and research.

He has no interest in conquering others, unlike Famine and War.

Regardless, our battle continues on for another hour. With the age reversal undoing itself even faster than the first time it happened. And, of course, he does it again after that. Turning me into a child again.

This is getting disorienting.

Our battle continues without pause as our spirits fight each other, and our energy clashes. But even after the three hour mark of our battle passes, no progress is made in either direction.

That said, it’s clear that Pestilence is stronger than me despite my inability to die. So they’ll probably announce it as his victory.

Of course, the moment that thought crosses my mind, Pestilence withdraws his energy and has his Pestilence Spirits return to the Plane of Pestilence. Then he puts his hands in his lab coat and says, “I’ve seen what I need to.”

I blink in surprise. Only to see Pestilence turn towards the judges booth and state, “I forfeit.”

An awkward silence fills the stadium as the barrier is lifted and Pestilence leaves the arena without another word.

I stare blankly at his retreating back even as the age reversal on my body gradually comes undone again. But all Pestilence does as he walks out of the arena is mutter to himself while writing more notes. Clearly withdrawn into his research already.

Something tells me I won’t be seeing him for a while.

Whatever though. It doesn’t really matter.

He’s canceled all of his current experiments and cured everyone who was affected. And that’s what matters right now.

I yawn before raising my hand and ignoring the shouts about how adorable I am right now. Even as the age reversal wears off at a gradual speed.

Then I open a gate to leave the arena and enter my ship. Because I am not going back to the booth while in child form.

Not after seeing the gazes of my family from within the arena.

If I tried returning right now in this form, they’d pester the hell out of me.

In fact, just in case they come up here, I go ahead and enter the Plane of Death until the age reversal completely wears off.

And when I get there, I go ahead and start reading.

My next battle should be with War.

So here’s hoping he isn’t as weird as Pestilence.