CHAPTER 577: THE SUPREME AND THE QUEEN

Elizabeth’s chest rose and deflated rapidly as her heart rate grew wild. She leaned against the elevator wall, her hands trembling from stress.

When she asked Sera about the possibility of Evolving, she didn’t expect to get accepted. Even worse, she didn’t expect to get put against such a powerful opponent.

She never was a great fighter. Her experience lay in leading and helping her people. Even her Evolved abilities had little to do with actual combat, worsening her chances at victory.

While she could barely breathe, the shadows inside the elevator became tangible, and a moment later, Faith appeared beside her, leaning against the wall.

The pale woman’s face revealed no emotion. Her black eyes glanced Elizabeth up and down without judgement or concern. Veil-like shadows covered her voluptuous body, and a dark crown adorned her head, blending in with her mid-back black hair.

She barely reached Elizabeth’s chest in height, yet her calm demeanor made her a giant in the Queen’s dark golden eyes.

Elizabeth’s hand absently played with a long blonde lock of hair while awaiting Faith’s next words.

"I don’t understand why you feel so fearful. You won’t die, no matter what. We won’t let that happen." She said in a bored, emotionless tone, which did nothing to calm Elizabeth’s turbulent emotions.

"Yeah, well, allow me to not fully trust in your abilities to keep me safe after seeing Adam nearly die! It’s easy for you to say, since you aren’t the one risking your life!"

Faith just stared at Elizabeth silently, then after a few seconds said, "Adam knew what he signed up for."

The Queen’s eyes widened in shock, staring down at Faith, unable to muster an answer. The Shadow smirked, and after a dramatic silence, elaborated.

"We purposefully let him reach death’s door in an attempt to unlock his powers. We would’ve saved him before the deathblow though, so don’t worry so much. Try your best, and we’ll make sure you’ll reach Ethereal by the end."

Elizabeth tried to disagree, but in that moment, the elevator jerked and began rising towards the arena.

Faith stepped back into the shadows, but before leaving she whispered into Elizabeth’s ear.

"Also, I would risk and even sacrifice myself for My Goddess. Don’t ever insult me by saying I wouldn’t risk my life. It’s a privilege to die for a cause you believe in!"

The Shadows faded into silence as the ceiling above Elizabeth opened and she found herself in a dark forest.

The announcers began their usual introductions, but Elizabeth tuned out all the useless noise. The cheering was especially loud for her, since many people from London attended this match, yet she remained focused on her current objective.

She stepped off the platform, her long golden dress gently blowing in the light breeze.

The Queen summoned no weapons as she stepped into the forest. Her eyes searched the woods, looking for any discrepancies or signs of her opponent.

"750 meters to your right. He’s waiting in a small clearing." Whispered Faith from the shadows.

Elizabeth didn’t question her words and followed the instructions. Even after their minor argument, she knew Faith wasn’t petty enough to endanger her.

As she took a few steps, Elizabeth found herself strangely calm. She thought back on her conversation with Faith, and a small smile stretched across her face as she realized what the Shadow had done.

"Thanks... For taking my mind off the battle..." She whispered to the darkness and a moment later felt a finger like shadow touch the tip of her nose playfully.

She soon reached the clearing and, upon stepping inside, Elizabeth instantly spotted her opponent’s strange yet authoritative figure.

Shangdi, the Supreme Deity, didn’t have a form like most people. He looked like a humanoid being made of pure energy and contained power.

Just looking at it sent a shiver down Elizabeth’s spine, but she didn’t run away, even though common sense suggested the option multiple times.

Upon stepping inside the clearing, Shangdi glanced Elizabeth up and down once. From the mass of energy, a snort-like noise and light laughter echoed.

"You’re kidding me, right?" asked the primordial god. "Is this really the best the Last Angel has to offer? A whimpering girl, barely of breeding age?"

His voice sounded commanding and overbearing, but upon hearing his actual words, Elizabeth couldn’t help but feel enraged.

"If you’re so scared, then surrender! Otherwise, stop wining and let’s begin!" she said, a hateful smile stretching across her face.

The mass chuckled again and said, "You’re feisty! I like it! In the past, I would’ve taken you as one of my wives, but sadly times change... Now, young one. I’ll give you one more chance to leave this arena alive!"

Elizabeth just chuckled, the anger turning into utter disgust. She took a step forward and reached for her golden dress’s shoulder straps.

Shangdi seemed awfully confused as Elizabeth pulled her hands and dropped the dress onto the grassy ground. However, instead of showing her nude, lithe body, she instantly transformed.

Unlike the previous fighters from the Angelic Order, she never changed her race. She was still hundred percent human, giving her the ability to transform.

The lithe lady’s limbs elongated, and golden fur grew on her skin. A pair of feathered golden wings appeared on her back, while a powerful tail grew from her spine.

A moment passed, and soon an authoritative roar shook the Colosseum.

In Elizabeth’s place, a huge lioness with wings and glowing eyes stared at her prey. She took a few steady steps, getting used to her new form, while keeping her gaze fixed on Shangdi.

Her claws dug deep into the earth. With each step, her powerful body stretched, sending shivers across the ground.

After a second or two, Elizabeth stopped moving. She stood a dozen meters from the primordial god, who still hadn’t moved.

She stared at him with glowing golden eyes. A deep growl reverberated through her frothing, razor-sharp teeth as her giant wings spread wide behind her back.

Another roar shook the woods, and before anyone noticed, Elizabeth began her attack.

Her roar reverberated through the surrounding reality. Its commanding tone ordered the surrounding world to change, lending her control.

The air became suffocatingly heavy and confining around Shangdi, while the earth moved away from below the energy being. It enclosed above, then pushed him down towards the Rune-covered flooring of the arena.

"Bea, could you hold him while I deliver a killing blow?" asked the winged-lioness without moving her maw.

A tiny root grew through Elizabeth’s fur, reaching her ear. From the root, Bea’s voice echoed...

"Only if he becomes whole again. Otherwise, he’ll just split himself... Bait him into reforming, then Faith and I’ll confine him!"

The root disappeared a moment later, just as the ground exploded below Elizabeth. She was sent flying, but using her wings, the lioness stabilized herself and stared at the wave of dancing energies.

They shot out towards her, faster than she could react. Each time they touched her skin, a deep pain punched through her body, and they left deep lacerations. Her golden fur soon became tinged with blood, yet Elizabeth didn’t care.

She roared once again, but this time Shangdi reacted. His energy grew thicker and silenced her commanding ability.

However, to use his powers, the primordial god needed to reform his humanoid appearance... Elizabeth’s bait was successful!

Dark shadows appeared around Shangdi, imprisoning him. She pushed the energy being onto the ground, from which hidden roots extended deep into the primordial god.

Bea pumped the energy being full of life energy, which made his state semi-physical. It formed him a body and forced his soul inside.

Suddenly, both Faith’s shadows and Bea’s roots disappeared, leaving behind a naked, hairless man. He could’ve used his energy to explode the body and escape the confinement, but in his confused and shocked state, he didn’t have time.

From above, the sound of wingbeats echoed, and soon a powerful, piercing pain moved across his body. The forest disappeared entirely. The air became damp and smelled like a person’s mouth after eating some meal with ample garlic.

Soon as saliva began dripping on his face, Shangdi realized where he was...

That’s when Elizabeth’s maw snapped shut with a loud crunch, separating the primordial god’s body at the waist. However, this didn’t kill him yet.

The lioness’s slippery tongue moved him helplessly, and soon another crunch echoed. Shangdi couldn’t even scream as his arms got bitten off and his body got chewed to pieces.

Eventually, when Elizabeth felt the Supreme Deity die, she did something that made the spectators gasp and heave in disgust. Instead of spitting out Shangdi’s corpse... she swallowed him...

Blood dripped from the edges of her mouth, as a light chuckle reached her ear...

"Well, that was unexpected. That body Bea created was an actual human... You technically committed cannibalism..." said Faith, finding the situation ever so amusing.

Upon hearing her words, nausea took hold of Elizabeth’s stomach. However, before she could’ve made herself vomit, a familiar question popped into her mind...

’Do you wish to evolve?’

"Anything to make this corpse disappear from my stomach..." she whispered to herself, her lioness body heaving in disgust.

A bright golden glow spread from her stomach, then covered her entire body. Her eyes shuttered closed as all her worries about cannibalism disappeared, and she fell over unconscious.

Eventually, she awoke in a bedroom below the arena, since after lying passed out for close to ten minutes, Faith had taken her away.

Valerie waited beside her, an overly wide and excited grin stretching across her face.

Elizabeth groaned and tried to sit up, when Valerie couldn’t hold back anymore. She burst into laughter, confusing her wife, who barely woke up from her Evolution.

She tried to answer Elizabeth’s questioning gaze, but after a dozen failed attempts, she simply tossed a hand mirror to her.

Confused, Elizabeth raised the mirror, and nearly passed out again from what stared back...