CHAPTER 584: THE LAST DUEL

Sera stepped into the elevator confidently. Bea also got in, while Faith left for the arena grounds, leaving the pair to their privacy.

The elevator doors closed, yet it didn’t move towards the surface. Sera eyed the button, which would begin this last charade. However, instead of pressing the button, she leaned against the elevator wall with a heavy sigh.

She swapped her usual golden petal dress to a golden armor with silvery accents. Her pristine white wings pressed close to her back as the Angelic Metal armor clinked against the elevator wall.

Next to her, Bea followed her action and also leaned against the elevator. Together, they stayed there in silence for a few seconds.

"Is everyone in position?" asked Sera while glancing towards her girlfriend. "Are Nick and Jo safe?... I mean... Do you think having Hestia and the others watch over them was the right call?"

A small smile grew on Bea’s blood-red lips as she leaned in and kissed the top of Sera’s golden haired head. She chuckled upon seeing the Angel’s questioning gaze...

"I thought you felt anxious about the duel for a moment! I should’ve known better... You’re scared of what might happen to everyone while you can’t protect them... I love how caring you’re!" said Bea, then gave another kiss, this time to Sera’s lips.

"As for your choices... I think they’re as safe as possible... Lydia and Thea would give their lives to save Nick and Jo, while Lin... Well, that boy wouldn’t let either girl die, so he’ll keep them all safe... But forget about them for now! Focus on your match first!"

Sera sighed again while nodding. However, she stayed leaning against the wall, her golden-green eyes penetrating the elevator button.

"What if Purity lied to us? Do you think I’ll win even without knowing Castiel’s abilities?" She asked after a long silence.

Bea didn’t answer immediately. She instead reached around her lover’s shoulder, pulling her into a side hug. Their heads gently leaned against each other as she whispered into Sera’s ear.

"I don’t think you’ll win," said Bea with a lighthearted giggle, causing Sera to glance over with a dubious expression, which seemed to ask... "Is that supposed to reassure me?"

However, a moment later, Bea continued, or rather elaborated...

"I don’t think you’ll win. I think and fully believe WE will win! With my and Faith’s help, the battle’s fate is already sealed. He can try to pull whatever trick he wants. We’re cheating, so there’s nothing Castiel can do to win!"

Sera chuckled and felt most of her anxiety elevate from her mind...

"I also don’t think Purity lied. Whatever Victor must’ve planned, I think he would rather fight you than Castiel... Think about it! The entire planet is watching! He probably wants to humiliate you before taking away your life, so all your followers would join his side!"

The Angel nodded in agreement, then the elevator fell into a brief silence. Eventually, Sera exhaled deeply, and gave a peck on Bea’s cheek.

She didn’t say anything else while stepping forward and finally pressed the button. The elevator immediately burst into action, pulling her upward towards the arena.

Bea disappeared from beside her as she became the forest’s consciousness, leaving Sera alone with her thoughts.

However, her mind was strangely empty. No useless emotions or flickering worries. Her mind finally settled into its clear state, like before every battle.

After weeks of struggling, it felt like a true blessing. All her concerns and anxious thoughts became silenced, making her tranquil and at peace.

The preparations were already over. The outcome would be decided soon, regardless of how Sera felt. The time for thinking had ended... The time for action began!

The elevator top opened, revealing Bea’s dark forest. The cheering sounded much louder than on the previous days, and Sera didn’t need to check the view count to know... the entirety of Earth was watching!

The Angel stood on the metal platform, her right hand raised and waving elegantly to the drones above. A confident smile spread across her face, stretching the scar running from her brow to her jaw.

A few stray rays of sunshine glinted on her pristine, intricately carved armor, giving her an aura of radiance. For fun, she spread her pure white wings, which made the cheering ten times louder.

The pieces were set... The curtain was drawn... It was time to put on the greatest show this planet had ever seen!

"Ladies, gentlemen and everyone in-between! The past two weeks were quite entertaining, I’m sure you all agree!" said the female announcer, then promptly got drowned out by the enormous crowd.

"However, all good things must come to their end, and this tournament is the same! Sadly, today is the last duel, but at least Our Goddess will give us a farewell gift! A match between the two most powerful individuals on this planet!" Said the male announcer with much fervor.

"Who will win? Who will lose? Who will receive Earth’s Realm on a silver platter? Who will die horribly? Who will be remembered and celebrated for ages to come? Who will be forgotten in the specks of time?... What do you all think?"

As the female announcer’s voice became silent, the loud cheering turned into an overbearing chant.

At first, multiple titles echoed through the arena... "Angel Monarch", "Deathless Pheonix", "Last Angel", "Unbroken", "Empress", and finally, the most common, "Goddess"...

However, as seconds went by, only one chant remained...

"...Seraphine! Seraphine! Seraphine!..."

Sera assumed her friends had something to do with this chant. She knew her followers would never resort to calling out her actual name... Either way, it filled her heart with warmth, causing her lips to widen into a gentle grin.

"Well, this wasn’t unexpected! I’m sure everyone wants Our Goddess to win, but let’s not forget about her opponent either!" began the female announcer and a moment later her partner continued....

"A terrifying Ethereal who claimed heaven for himself! The Mirrored Angel! The Brother Killer! Bane of Hope! Hunter of Hell! Heaven’s Executioner! The dreaded Castiel himself!"

A light chuckle escaped Sera’s lips while listening to these titles. She made up most of them with the help of her friends. It made everyone think of Castiel as a horrible existence, ensuring that even if Sera lost, nobody would obey his orders.

The fruits of her labor could immediately be heard across the arena, as every spectator began booing Castiel.

Even the announcers couldn’t hold their laughter, but their professionalism soon kicked in and they introduced Sera with vastly more decorum and passion.

"I’m sure every one of us gathered here knows about Our Goddess and the work she’d done for our planet! All the wars she ended! All the kindness her worshippers had brought! We’re truly blessed to have her as Our Goddess!"

An uncomfortable shiver went down Sera’s spine. She really didn’t appreciate how the male announcer talked about her.

Most people would feel endeared and empowered if someone referred to them as ’gods’. For Sera though, it was nothing but a reminder of her future battles.

At first, having worshippers was a great idea, but over the years it really got out of hand. However, by now there was no stopping it. People will continue to worship her regardless of her own wants.

It made her feel disgusted, yet she silently accepted the announcer’s praise, hiding the discomfort deep inside her heart.

"She has many names! Some know her as Angel Monarch or Deathless Phoenix! Others refer to her as the Last Angel! Her friends and family know her as Seraphine, while her children call her mother!"

"Whichever name you choose, it doesn’t matter since she’ll always be Our Goddess!" shouted the female announcer with much zeal.

The spectators also cheered their enthusiasm, and after a few seconds, the arena finally fell into silence.

Sera breathed a sigh of relief, and without further ado, she walked off the platform and into the forest. Faith didn’t need to tell her Castiel’s position, since she could just share her vision with the Angel.

It took her barely a few seconds to arrive at a small clearing, where Heaven’s Executioner was already waiting.

The tall angel looked quite radiant. His whitish-gold eyes revealed no emotion, while a humorless, almost bored smile stretched across his bearded face.

A silver crown glinted atop his white-haired head, making him regal compared to Sera’s bare golden locks. A gentle breeze made his pure white robe with intricate golden embellishments dance.

His demeanor while wasn’t outright hostile, Sera could feel the tension emanating from Castiel’s body. He didn’t seem to hate her. Rather, he looked down on Sera, like she was nothing but an ant in his eyes, someone not worth his time or attention.

Sera didn’t feel insulted. Compared to an Ethereal, her powers were indeed quite lacking. However, he wouldn’t be fighting as an Ethereal today, which gave Sera a pretty good chance at victory.

"I assume neither of us plans to surrender." Said Sera, with a hungry, terrifying grin stretching across her face.

Castiel simply snorted, his smile twisting into a similar grin. "No. We both want the same... to Evolve using our enemy’s corpse. Surrender was never an option for either of us!"

The Executioner grabbed his robe and pulled it away, revealing a gleaming mirror-like armor. Behind his back, a pair of crystal wings spread wide. A few rays of sunlight caught on its surface, creating a powerful white glow within the crystals.

Sera also spread her pristine white wings and after both parties summoned their helmets and weapons, they burst into action...