CHAPTER 564: EASY VICTORIES

After Yvonne’s fight, it became obvious which setup the spectators enjoyed the most. Sera decided that all the matches during the first week would change from regular duels to free-for-alls.

In reality, spectator enjoyment was the least of her concerns, but it was a great excuse. The forest design gave them the perfect opportunity for cheating.

Anytime someone got in trouble, Bea and Faith could assist without anyone noticing. They cared little if the actual fighters saw them cheat, since they wouldn’t make it out alive, anyway.

They held multiple matches a day, so the progress quickened. Astrid, James, Sarah and Melinda all acquired Stellar Rank, while Cass managed to Evolve into an Ethereal.

Their victories, like Yvonne’s, weren’t difficult...

Astrid fought against a few angels, including Prosperity from the Horsemen of Genesis. Finally, she Evolved using a jackal-headed Egyptian god named Anubis.

She required the most help from Bea and Faith, since her abilities didn’t have offensive properties. Luckily, Anubis also had lacking attacks, so the fight wasn’t too difficult, albeit it was arduous and somewhat boring.

James’s battle was much more fun to watch. He went into the arena in a full suit of power armor decked out in dozens of energy weapons and protected by a Portable Aegis Shield.

Inside the arena, he hunted down all the primordial beings, including Famine, then eventually fought against Surya from the Hindu Pantheon. The primordial god was extremely powerful even after getting weakened by the Contract, but modern technology prevailed.

Sarah fought another Egyptian, a being named Set. The canine-headed primordial god was the god of chaos and storms, the perfect prey for her.

Their fight mostly consisted of summoning powerful winds, so the spectators could barely see anything. This made cheating much easier, and the fight ended a minute after it began.

Melinda’s fight against Pestilence ended in about five seconds. They both summoned thousands of diseases, killing everyone inside the arena, including each other. However, Bea kept Melinda alive long enough to Evolve and naturally regenerate.

She also killed Peace and Athena during their fight, who couldn’t withstand the overwhelming infections.

Finally, Cass fought against none other than Aphrodite. Their fight was quite strange, since the primordial goddess could barely fight one-on-one. Instead, she used her power to pit every other contender against Cass.

The Succubus killed them all alone after she led the entire group away with her illusions and executed the unprotected Aphrodite easily. When they lost her influence, a mass battle broke out, while Cass Evolved into an Ethereal.

Life and Hermes also perished in this battle, leaving only Hera and Zeus as the last survivors of the Greek Pantheon.

The other Factions also began losing their numbers, while Sera’s group stood stronger than ever.

However, most leaders still didn’t feel the fear of losing and dying. They believed themselves stronger than their underlings. They cultivated their pride for thousands of years, making them immortal and unbeatable in their own eyes.

Sera just chuckled while watching the recap of the previous day. She loved to see how confident all their opponents were, compared to the fear in their eyes when they died.

"What a morbid watch right after making love!" said Bea, while walking in from the bathroom naked. She lay down beside Sera on the bed, cuddling her as Sarah beheaded some minor goddess on the holo-screen.

"I would’ve put on some movie, but sadly every single station is broadcasting this crap!"

They both laughed, and Bea spoke with a lighthearted, accusatory tone. "Crap? You mean the spectacle you designed? Maybe you should’ve made it more boring, so fewer people cared about it!"

"Oh, please," began Sera with a mocking chuckle. "I would’ve already done that if I got the chance. It’s so annoying that everyone compares their views, especially Lucy!"

The view count on the first day was the highest, which meant Lucy could constantly brag and annoy everybody. Yvonne’s fight also came close, but it didn’t manage to dethrone the Reaper first spot.

"Well, I’m sure Kim’s fight will change that tomorrow, or Lilith’s in a few days... I’m not even mentioning yours, since that’ll obviously end up as the most watched."

Upon hearing Bea’s words, Sera leaned in and kissed the top of her head. She took a deep whiff of her intoxicating fragrance, then turned back towards the holo-screen just as James took out a demon on the other side of the forest using an energy sniper rifle.

They became silent for a few minutes, watching how their friends prevailed against all their opponents.

Eventually though, Sera whispered without turning towards Bea... "Thank you for your help. We couldn’t have won these matches without you."

Bea’s greenish-gold gaze moved away from the holo-screen onto Sera’s perfect face. She reached forward and gently brushed away a few strands of hair from her neck.

She pressed her lips onto Sera’s neck, sending goosebumps across the Angel’s body...

"Where did this sudden appreciation come from?" She asked, her voice low as a kind, curious smile brightened her magnificent face.

Sera’s golden-green eyes met her persistent gaze, and a cunning smirk stretched across her lips.

"Everybody has thanked you for helping except me. I was feeling left out!" She then leaned in and pressed her lips against Bea’s, an invitation for another session of lovemaking.

However, Sera’s words about Bea’s help could’ve been truer. When deciding upon arena designs, she quickly ran into a problem... Stellars can use their Aura in fights!

They can create giant avatars, which could easily destroy the entire arena’s ground, including any Transcended trying to fight against them.

This was the only way they could unleash their full power, since regular humanoid bodies simply weren’t able to output enough energy at once.

Sera learned a lot from her fight against Peace and War. She knew that against a Stellar’s Aura, most of her friends would lose. They needed something that could prevent them from entering that state... They needed Bea...

The forest she created had multiple uses. It created a darker environment that Faith can oversee and use for everyone’s benefit. The thick foliage obstructed the drones from direct line of sight. She could also heal anyone easily, through the ground using roots.

The most important though... She was indestructible and invulnerable to the fighters’ attacks...

She never signed a Contract, so none of the fighters could hurt her. This also prevented them from forming their avatars using their Auras.

Something Sera learned was that without enough space, the avatar couldn’t be formed. The foliage compressed the arena, and its indestructible property prevented the usage of Aura, further weakening any Stellars.

With Bea’s presence, the Stellars and Ethereals weakened by their Contracts were nothing more than physically more powerful Transcended. Their thousands of years worth of fighting experience meant little when they entered an already losing battle.

It filled Sera with confidence and hope. She actually believed they’ll win, even though the road ahead would only get harder.

She lay awake beside Bea’s sleeping body, her eyes vacant. Hundreds of thoughts and plans popped into her mind, then got dismissed soon after.

Sera was a woman of action, someone who would rather sacrifice herself than watch others suffer. She preferred not to rely on others, since that put them in danger.

However, she needed to face the facts and accept her friends’ help. She also had to realize that for now, she couldn’t do anything but watch as everyone risked their lives.

The feeling of uselessness felt overwhelming, but Bea’s presence comforted her. Each of her breaths sent a wave of calm across Sera’s body until her vacant eyes gradually shut and she fell into deep slumber.

...

The next day soon arrived, bringing another challenge. Kim stood beside Sam near the elevator. She didn’t want to bring her engagement ring into the arena, so gave it to his fiancé for safekeeping.

She reached up and tenderly brushed her palm along the lanky goblin’s neck and cheeks.

"Don’t worry. I won’t be away for long." She said, her voice firm as a sad smile stretched across her face.

Kim would’ve preferred not risking her life, but Sera needed her help, and she didn’t want to disappoint... She also wanted to wipe Lucy’s bragging smile off by gaining more views than her!

"Be careful, my love! Don’t take chances! There’s no shame in running. I’ve been doing it my whole life!" He tried to chuckle at his attempt at a joke, but it sounded closer to a whimper.

Sam’s heart pounded fast as fear tried to overwhelm his mind. However, instead of succumbing to the horrid sensation, he reached out and grabbed Kim’s hand. He pressed his green lips against the finger where the engagement ring once resided.

He felt a deep blush burn his face as he pulled away and smiled at Kim’s shocked expression.

"Just something to keep it warm while you’re away." He said, with a tiny genuine giggle echoing from his throat.

Behind Kim, the elevator arrived with a light bang. They both glanced in its direction, then hugged each other firmly.

"Good luck!" said Sam while gazing into Kim’s dark green eyes... "Thanks!" she said in a whisper, while staring at her fiancé’s emerald eyes.

Reluctantly, she pulled away from Sam, but before turning away, he pressed his fingers onto his lips, then gently touched Kim’s own lips. An indirect kiss. A show of intimate affection Sam had never done before.

The small action stunned Kim, but before she could’ve said anything, Sam ran off without a word. The half-snake woman began dying from laughter as she imagined Sam’s embarrassed expression.

In fact, she found it so funny that throughout the elevator ride, she continued chuckling. Only once the dark forest appeared did she stop and began concentrating.