CHAPTER 576: HEAVEN’S EXECUTIONER

While waiting for the next match, James switched the holo-screen to some commentary channel.

A few self-made strategists discussed the previous fight, while the Evolved sitting beside them nodded uncomfortably at their dumb questions. It was obvious that other than the Evolved, none of the analysts saw actual battle.

While the show was horrible for in-depth analyzes, it was hilarious to everyone. Especially when they mischaracterized both fighters’ powers by a wide margin.

They thought the Jade Emperor could control the enemy’s mind, while Lucifer can manipulate shadows like Faith.

When talking about Lucifer, most couldn’t help but glance towards Lilith. The young married woman sat on a couch with her husband. She leaned back and crossed her legs, while a calm smile stretched across her face.

She didn’t seem the least bit fearful of her upcoming fight... or she hid her actual feelings amazingly...

People also glanced at Elizabeth and Valerie, who sat closer to the back of the lounge room. The Queen of England also looked relatively calm even though she would fight against the Chinese Pantheon’s leader tomorrow.

Time passed by quick, and about fifteen minutes before the next fight, the show switched topics. They began discussing the upcoming fight, describing each fighter’s abilities... or at least tried to, but they yet again failed miserably...

Before long, James switched channels again, going back to the tournament’s live feed. The announcers had already begun their usual introduction of the fighters, who had barely risen into the arena.

One of the platforms revealed a trio of elderly figures wearing different colored robes, one blue, another yellow and the third red. They had Asian features and long white beards.

All three looked unassuming and weak, yet everyone knew how formidable these three were.

"I don’t understand. How can three enter the arena at once? Won’t they need to kill each other too?" asked Kim while playing with the engagement ring on her finger.

Wukong suddenly appeared behind her and began combing through her long light blue hair, looking for bugs to eat.

"Not really. While they appear as a trio, The Three Pure Ones are in fact a singular being. Each of the elderly men represents an aspect of their full power, so during their previous Evolution they got separated. However, they only have one soul, which makes them an individual!"

The people in the room became silent upon hearing Wukong’s words. They watched with curious eyes as the three old men stepped into Bea’s forest. It reminded everyone how little they actually knew about Evolution.

"If you think this is weird, you’ll be shocked if you ever leave Earth. This is nothing compared to the shit I’ve seen in other Realms! I once heard of an entire race consisting of a single soul, which duplicated! How ridiculous is that!"

A few of them chuckled upon hearing Wukong’s words, but soon the silence returned as the drone’s view swapped to the second fighter.

A radiant figure, with feathered, crystal-like wings and a terrifyingly calm demeanor. His whitish-gold eyes stared ahead, into the dark woods while a prideful smirk grew on his short-bearded face.

A silver crown glinted atop his white hair. His pure white robe with gold embellishments gently danced in the forest’s breeze as he stepped away from the platform and onto the arena grounds.

He didn’t summon any weapon, and neither did The Three Pure Ones. In fact, they all just went to the nearest clearing, as if both parties knew exactly where their opponent was.

Eventually, they stopped at the clearing’s edge, staring at each other with curious gazes.

"I’m guessing you aren’t about to surrender." Said Castiel, his smirk widening into a cruel grin. His white teeth seemed to reflect all the light shining through the thick foliage.

"No." Said the red-robed elder. "But." Said the yellow-robed one. "Feel free to give up and kneel before us." Said the third, blue-robed elder.

Each spoke in a different voice, yet all sounded the same. Like a single soul speaking through multiple mouths.

"Well... don’t say I didn’t give you a chance..."

As Castiel’s words died down, he tilted his head. The grin lessened into a kind, even gentle smile, and suddenly his crystal wings snapped open.

In that moment, all three elders closed their eyes. Brightly colored auras appeared around their bodies as they floated into the air.

A second passed before their eyes opened again, revealing pure energy welling deep inside their vision. The robes danced on wind created by their sheer presence, yet... Castiel stayed absolutely still...

Below them, he continued to smile. His whitish-gold eyes stared at the elders, like a parent would stare at their naïve children.

The Three Pure Ones’ gaze landed on Castiel’s wings, which sealed the battle before it even began.

Inside its reflective surface, a different trio gazed out, and upon the reflection’s vision met reality, they began moving on their own. From Castiel’s wings, three different elders stepped out, their eyes soulless, but their aura just as powerful.

They floated into the air, reaching the same height as the real Three Pure Ones.

The three elders didn’t understand what was happening. They glanced at each other in confusion, while below them, Castiel chuckled and turned away, tucking his wings close.

He began walking with slow, measured steps, as if unafraid of the battle’s outcome.

The red-robed elder tried floating after him, but his reflection followed suit, blocking his path. With a powerful wave of energy, he tried blasting away his impersonating obstacle, but the reflection simply summoned a similar wave, canceling out the elder’s attack.

Upon seeing this, The Three Pure Ones finally understood Castiel’s power... or at least they believed to understand it...

The clearing erupted in a gigantic fight of different colored energies. Through the flashes, most watchers lost track of which was the reflection and the real being... However, Sera’s eyes followed each with ease...

She knew exactly who the real elders and the reflections were. This didn’t mean she could make sense of the battle, but that wasn’t the purpose of her concentration.

Sera would fight Castiel in a couple of days. She needed to learn everything about his powers during that time.

Currently, it seemed she could summon his enemy’s reflection with the exact same set of powers and fighting experience, but...

"There has to be more... This is too weak for someone as feared as Castiel..." she whispered thoughtfully, and that’s when something strange happened.

One of the reflections touched its counterpart, and both disappeared for a partial moment. Nobody else seemed to notice the discrepancy, but a tiny, cunning smile grew on Sera’s face.

This action repeated itself two more times, and after the third all six elders stopped fighting. They simultaneously glanced up at the spectators, then settled on the ground and bowed deeply.

A second passed, and when they straightened, all six figures suddenly exploded into mirror-like shards. The shards broke into tinier fragments until only glistening dust remained.

Both the spectators and the announcers looked confused, while Castiel simply stood on his elevator platform. He waved at the forest with a proud smile as the platform descended, leaving only petrified silence behind.

Most of the group burst into outrage at how shitty the fight was, but Sera was already in her mind palace. She recalled every single moment of the fight, replaying it over and over, searching for any clue that could help her win the battle against Castiel.

’I already knew he could use reflections in some way, but I didn’t expect him to summon replicas of his enemies... Can he only summon a single reflection? They’re definitely as powerful as the real ones, but can they think? Is there some condition to summoning them?’

Sera suddenly recalled that when Castiel spread his wings, the reflections didn’t appear immediately...

’Only after The Three Pure Ones glanced at his wings, at their own reflections... How curious... So, if I fight with my eyes closed, he can’t summon my reflection? That could be helpful, especially with Faith and Bea’s guidance...’

Yet, something kept bothering Sera. This initial plan might work, but she couldn’t forget about what she saw...

’Where did they disappear to? It was only a partial moment, and when they returned, they became reflections too! Different places and realities could pass time at different rates... What happened to The Three Pure Ones exactly?’

This single, elusive answer kept evading Sera’s mind. She already guessed that summoning reflections wasn’t Castiel’s only power, since that would be quite weak.

’I could overpower him easily, even if he summoned my reflection. He couldn’t affect Bea or Faith, since they hadn’t signed the Contract. They could hold my reflection back while I duel Castiel... This sounds way too easy though!’

Sera leaned back on the couch with an annoyed sigh. Beside her, Bea chuckled. She couldn’t help but find her girlfriend extremely cute when she was deep in thought.

After her Evolution, the connection between Bea and Sera deepened quite a bit. They could hear each other’s thoughts near constantly. Only when they actively concentrated could they hide their minds.

While Sera’s brain went into overdrive, Bea silently listened. She could barely keep up with her lover’s quick thinking, but if she listened to Sera’s thoughts, her own mind didn’t interrupt the Angel’s thinking.

It was a delicate balance, keeping one’s mind clear of thought. Bea tried her best, but the moment she saw Sera skulk, her concentration broke. Her girlfriend heard a single word echo from Bea’s mind...

’Adorable!’

Sera’s golden-green eyes immediately snapped towards Bea’s smiling gaze, and soon she burst into a light, tired laugh. She placed her head on her girlfriend’s firm shoulder, a deep sigh whistling through her nose.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, then eventually left to spend some time with Nick and Jo.