CHAPTER 556: DEATH AND THE REAPER

Just as Sera promised after her departure, the fighting order appeared on every screen, with timestamps for today’s battles. The different stations exploded with chatter as show hosts began hyperanalyzing all the upcoming fights.

The first fight would start at eleven, giving everyone plenty of time to study the list. Many were disappointed, since Sera wouldn’t fight in the first week, but their excitement soon returned upon seeing the last fight of the day.

Under the Colosseum, Sera tossed the crown onto the couch, while she dismissed her armor with a tired sigh. She pretended to sit on the crown, which immediately turned back into her partner.

Sera smiled back at Bea mischievously as she made herself comfortable in the magnificent woman’s lap. She then leaned back and kissed Bea deeply.

"Awesome speech!" whispered Bea onto Sera’s lips, while giggling with joy.

"Ugh! Get a room!" said Lucy while walking inside, grinning at the couple.

Bea rolled her eyes and quickly grew a golden dress onto Sera’s perfect body, so nobody else could see her prized possession!

"Sorry! We just got a bit excited!... Are you prepared for the match?" asked Sera, still sitting in Bea’s lap with her arms wrapped gently around her neck. It didn’t look comfortable, yet both women seemed to enjoy the closeness and warmth.

"Prepared?! I’m fucking ecstatic! I haven’t killed a single being in weeks! I’m the most pacifistic Reaper in existence!" she shouted in outrage, while Will sat beside her and the others entered the room as well.

"Okay-okay... I get it... But be careful. We know little about Death’s abilities, other than she also uses a scythe. We even asked Odin, Amaterasu and Wukong, but they knew nothing... Their only advice was, keep your distance, whatever that means..."

As Sera spoke, the three Ethereals entered the room. Wukong was grinning from monkey ear to monkey ear, while Amaterasu glanced around with boredom. Odin, though... He looked both pissed and impressed...

He walked to Sera’s couch and sat beside them. The group’s chatter echoed loudly inside the room as Odin shook his head and chuckled.

"So this was your big secret... You weren’t the only one to sign up for the tournament, but your entire group... I’m quite impressed! You managed to convince Tyr behind my back and somehow keep the information hidden from me... How did you do it?"

Sera’s face became flushed as an embarrassed chuckle echoed from her lips. She glanced towards Lilith, then sighed and spoke with shame...

"We didn’t convince him... Lilith went into his dreams and made him create more Contracts... Sorry, but we wanted to keep everyone’s participation a secret..."

Odin stared at the Angel with an expressionless face, then suddenly burst into laughter, surprising everyone.

"Don’t fret it. Tyr won’t care about the invasion of privacy, and it’s a great strategy... You’ll use this opportunity to boost your group’s strength, I assume... Killing dozens of Ethereals in their weakened state and using them for Evolution... At least their deaths won’t go to waste!"

He chuckled some more, and while their conversation continued, on the lounge room’s big holo-screen the first match of the day began. The fight was between some weak god of the Hindu Pantheon, against some monstrous demon.

They barely paid attention as the two beings fought for survival. However, soon an idea popped into Melinda’s mind, and soon people began making bets about the winner. Suddenly, the boring fight turned into top-level entertainment as people cheered for their team and booed the other.

"Hey, Ms. Angel. What’s this strange technology you’re using?" asked Wukong while trying to grab the holo-screen, but his paw went right through the projected light.

"Its called a holo-screen. It uses a special crystal and energy to project photons onto air particles, creating a 3 dimensional surface. The flying objects above the Colosseum transmit live pictures of the fight and send them to these screens, imitating what’s actually happening above."

Wukong just stared at James with a thoughtful expression, then shrugged and said, "So it shows the actual fight in real time. That’s nice. I wish we had these in our time, don’t we, Ama?"

The Queen of the Sun simply shrugged and continued watching the fight with boredom. However, Wukong didn’t let her rest in silence...

"Come now, Ama!" he said while standing behind the goddess and picking specks of dust out of her hair... he ate some of it... "Let us have a wager too! It seems fun! Which one do you think will win? The pretty boy or the demon?"

Amaterasu glanced towards the holo-screen and watched the weak god desperately evade the demon’s overpowering attacks. She couldn’t recall this specific deity’s powers—or name—but the future winner of the fight seemed obvious.

"The demon. He’s simply too overwhelming for the pretty boy. He can’t even get close enough to attack—"

Just as she spoke, the weak god evaded another of the demon’s blows, then jumped up and moved through the air much faster than the demon could react. He held no weapons, but his arm cleanly cut through the demon’s neck, killing him on the spot.

"And you just lost the bet! I thought you would be a better judge of character, Ama! It was pretty obvious the pretty boy was searching for the perfect opening... Anyway, you lose, so pay up!"

She raised her head, staring up at Wukong with an emotionless expression.

"We didn’t actually make a bet. I simply stated my opinion, which happened to be incorrect. Also, what would the payment even be? We never discussed the terms and conditions of this nonexistent wager."

Wukong just rolled his eyes and flicked Amaterasu’s forehead with so much acceleration, it created a sonic boom. However, the primordial goddess barely reacted as she continued staring up at him.

"Let’s see, you lost the wager, so your punishment will be... Oh, I know! You have to smile and enjoy yourself for today!"

Amaterasu narrowed her sun-like eyes as she took a deep breath and plastered the tiniest, fake smile onto her face... "Fine! I’ll accept my loss! But don’t get cocky! I’ll get you back on the next bet!"

The monkey nodded once, then turned away and began rolling on the ground with laughter.

The others didn’t even pay attention to their exchange. They either felt happy or sad, depending on who won or lost their wager.

For the upcoming battles, everybody played the betting game, even Sera and Bea, but their bets were between each other...

However, eventually the fights ended one by one. As the sun set, only one match remained...

Lucy waved goodbye to everyone, then kissed Will and stood on the platform, which raised her up into the Colosseum. She stood at one end of the oval structure, while Death appeared at the other corner.

Throughout the arena, the female announcer’s voice echoed...

"And! For today’s last fight! We bring amazing! Artistic! Poetic matchup!"

Suddenly, a bright light from a few drones shone down onto Death, illuminating her to the cheering crowds in the bleachers.

"In one corner, we find the one who brought terror to this world! The one whose simple existence brought fear to humanity! The Killer of Beings! The One Devoid of Life! The Threat of Existence! Death herself!"

A loud cheer and clapping echoed from the bleachers as the bloodthirsty fools were bursting with excitement for the upcoming battle.

Death just stared ahead at Lucy with her pale, seemingly blind eyes. A pale armor with black embellishments covered her entire body except her eyes. She leaned on her scythe while awaiting her opponent’s announcement.

"In the other corner, someone who needs no introduction! The Loyal Killer of Our Goddess! The Bloodhound of The Angelic Order! The Queen of Slaughter! The Daughter of Limbo! The Reaper!"

The crowd erupted in screams of joy and excitement. The female announcer tried saying something else, but the cheers drowned out her voice.

Lucy’s shoulder-length black hair gently blew in the wind as her dark eyes gazed at Death. On her deathly pale face, her usual smirk appeared as she covered herself in the dark green smokey substance, creating an armor of life and death.

She didn’t summon her scythe, though. Instead, a strange instrument appeared in her hand, which Death couldn’t recognize. It was dark green and metallic, with a pipe-like structure and a handle.

The bleachers began dying down, and soon the male announcer continued his colleague’s speech...

"Ladies, gentlemen and everything in-between! It’s time for today’s last battle! It’s time to witness the fight between Death and the Reaper! Let the blood flow and let the better fighter win!"

The people shouted their anticipation while gazing at the holo-screens, awaiting the moment...

Lucy began walking towards Death, and her opponent did the same. The Reaper grinned in excitement, her dark eyes glinting with sadistic desire, while Death stayed absolutely emotionless, like a true dead person.

She brandished her dark scythe, letting it cut the air with a whistling sound, while Lucy stopped about five hundred meters away.

With the strange instrument, she scratched her head, then let the dark green armor cover her face too. She then spun the object on her finger and pointed it at Death.

"It’s truly a shame... I would’ve loved a prolonged battle... scythe-against-scythe... But while victory is necessary, my own satisfaction is secondary!... Tell the real Death I said hi!"

The Reaper’s low voice reached Death’s ears. She tilted her head in confusion, then watched as Lucy squeezed her index finger. Something in the barrel exploded, and a glowing dark green bullet shot forward with incredible speed.

It punched straight through Death’s skull, killing her on the spot...