Transcendence?

by Andur

  Manalie the Big is the bunny girl who was with them earlier. The stupid guy who gave her this title should be flogged! Apparently one of their mercenaries. She is relying on her combat aura like Celestial. But in addition she has some strange spells to summon weapons of different elements.

  The big thin guy with dark skin and a bald head was another mercenary of theirs. His name is Sergain the Worried. His speciality seem to be barrier spells. They are no joke because he is able to protect himself and seal his opponents in them. It's the perfect skill for crowd control.

  Zacharias the Swift is a dagger user who seems to rely on speed. He hasn't much offensive or defensive abilities besides stabbing people from behind. Seems like they just recruited him because they didn't find anyone else.

  Nergal the Mind is a user of telekinesis and the reason for their victories. Whether it's accelerating a pebble to punch a hole through his opponent's barrier, or crushing them outright. Nergal is able to do it. He may be the most dangerous fellow of their entire party.

  Ascathon breaks the silence. “I think you should turn the power output to the maximum and snipe Nergal at the start of the game.”

  Lidith frowns and waves at my rifle. “Didn't you just say that she'll take herself out by doing that?”

  Ascathon nods. “That's true. But it would be a good trade. Jazira's sniping abilities aren't restricted to her person. Maybe we manage to pick up her weapon. If Nergal is gone, our enemies have lost their most dangerous asset.”

  “We would still be outnumbered.” Celestial points out.

  “There is no chance of fighting them if they still have their sniper. Maybe you are right. Probably Nergal will go for Jazira too. They'll surely seek to take out our most dangerous asset first.” Lidith takes a sip from her juice.

  I scratch at my cheek. “So it's either him or me?”

  A faint distortion of the space around us relocates our group to the arena.

  “Oh, I wish they would warn us at least.” Lidith drops her glass with juice to the ground.

  The commentator starts his speech while we wait and stare at the group across from us. At the end of the speech the familiar white bubble encloses us. There is still no word between us. Just silent staring.

  I focus on Nergal. He is the only guy who wasn't present when they made their declaration of war. Nergal has long black hair and yellowish skin. Two black angel wings are at his back and something like a totem is in his hand.

  When the white sphere around us dissipates I act and raise the rifle, pointing it at Nergal. He does the same, pointing his totem at me!

  Sergain jumps in front of Nergal and raises his shield. Layer upon layer of barriers start to appear between us.

  I press the trigger!

  Sphere of Sous

  Celestial

  I jump aside as Jazira takes her shot at Nergal. Nothing happens, except for a fist sized hole appearing in Sergain's chest. His barriers shattered like glass. Nergal's head blasts apart like it was hit by a sledgehammer.

  An apocalyptic explosion appears in the far distance behind them and a shockwave of air pressure and fire throws everyone to the ground.

  Jazira is blown away like a puppet who had her strings cut. Due to her unconsciousness, she didn't even try to protect herself. But I can't pay any further attention to her and rush at my opponents.

  I release even more power to withstand the radical changes in my environment. I didn't even have time to appreciate the strange blue vegetation, which surrounded us just moments ago. Everything turned to ash. Roots explode from the ground and try to grab me, but I jump and release the stored up power in my fist at Wynne.

  My attack forces the enemy team to disperse and a huge crater appears at their previous position. Something stabs into my back, but is stopped by my armour and my battle aura.

  I turn in mid air and bring my left leg down on whoever attacked me. Zacharias gets his head out of the way just in time. He stabs at my chest, but I grab at the warhammer on my back and release my battle aura to the limit.

  The hammer comes down at Zacharias like a mythical weapon from legends, wiping his dagger away and impacting on his shoulder. A single spark of pure mana lashes out at Zacharias and my opponent is sent down to the ground, impacting like a bullet. A cloud of dust and pebbles is sent to the sky.

  But my victory is short lived. One of the roots grabs me and before I know it, I am encased in a tight network of plants.

  Sphere of Sous

  Lidith

  I try to go directly for Aneth. But the battlefield dissolves into pure chaos! Spells are flying left and right while Wynne's nature magic adds to the chaos.

  Suddenly Charon is in front of me, ready to cast a curse on me. He thrusts his hand at me and I feel myself weakening. It feels like my life is being sucked away. Barriers encase him. I don't pay any heed to it and throw one of my swords at him, hitting him directly in the chest. The crystal sword went through his barrier like it wasn't there. Ascathon explained that the crystal weapons are fed and strengthened by mana.

  It seems logical that something which was created by mana shouldn't be a hindrance to a weapon which feeds on it.

  Charon is still looking in amazement at the sword in his chest when I take his head with my second sword!

  At that moment Aneth appears in front of me and the last thing I see is a fist appearing in my vision.

  Sphere of Sous

  Aneth

  Another one down! I wish had time to torture them slowly, but our hired guns weren't as useful as I hoped! It turned into a killing field right at the beginning. Neither group held back!

  Ascathon should be the last of them. But he disappeared into his own shadow right at the beginning of the fight! He didn't even try to aide his companions. “Wynne? Where are you?” Damn, These roots are everywhere! And the life force is interfering with my senses. I wish she wouldn't rely on this annoying spell!

  She created a forest of roots around us within mere moments! The roots reach a height of about fifty metres and give off a dangerous atmosphere.

  The faint sound of someone whistling an ominous melody reaches my ears and I look up to find Ascathon standing on one of the taller roots, looking down at me.

  He has a long staff in his left hand. It's one of those accursed crystal weapons! In his right, he is spinning Wynne's head! Holding it at her long blonde hair!

  Sphere of Sous

  Ascathon

  I stop my melody and drop the head in front of Aneth's feet. Then I jump down and approach him to draw his attention. “I went for the troublesome person first. Looks like you and I are the only ones left. I think you know what that means. I just have to kill both of us and my team wins. You had more people in your group, so we'll get some bonus points.”

  “Hahahaha! Didn't you just admit that I won? I just have to kill you and my team is ahead in points! You are no match for me in a fair fight.” He steps towards me, over Wynne's head.

  I grin and pull the remote trigger out of my pocket. “The boring thing about this part of the tournament is that it's not a real fight. In a real fight you would care more for your own survival. And who says that this is a fair fight?”

  Aneth's eyes widen as he looks down at Wynne's head, which just chirped. It was the sound of the mana grenade inside it acknowledging the received signal.

  “~My win.~”

  I press the trigger.

  Sphere of Sous

  Jazira

  “Chrrrr... Hrr... chrrr...” I yawn and open my eyes. Clouds of ash and dust are in the red sky above me. Hmm. Strange. Wasn't it violet earlier? Though I didn't have much time to take a look at my surroundings.

  Oh that's right! The fight! I sit up and look around. The nice blue vegetation is gone! I am in a charred wasteland with no signs of life. “What's going on? Did I miss the fight!?”

  I kick an annoying boulder from my left foot. It looks like I am in an expanse of rubble.

  I get to my feet, only to land b
ack on my ass, as a flash of pure white lights the horizon and a shockwave throws me backwards.

  “~Owie! Right onto the tailbone!~”

  I wriggle in pain as the world around me turns black.

  103 - Finals?

  Sphere of Sous

  Ascathon

  “...Aaand 'The four Pillars of Death' won! There was simply too much action in this fight! I couldn't even decide on which scene we should focus! ...”

  Aneth's face distorts in anger while he points his finger at us. “This isn't over you fucking cheaters!” His head snaps towards the bunny girl. “And where were you! I didn't even see you do a thing!”

  The bunny girl clenches her fists and pulls them protectively in front of her chest. Then her eyes wander to me.

  Aneth continues with his tirade. “I swear! I'll take a look at the video footage! And if there wasn't a good reason for your disappearance...”

  I grin and make a few poking motions with my staff in bunny's direction.

  Tears appear in her eyes and her left hand wanders towards her butt. Then she turns and runs out of the arena. “~Uwaaah! You can keep the moneeeey...~” Aneth watches her strange exit in silent confusion.

  The arena turns silent and all eyes wander towards me. Hmmm? What's their problem? She was my opponent? And a bunny girl on top. There wasn't anything wrong...

  “... Well. Ladies and Gentlemen. I think there is nothing wrong with deleting the footage of this part of the fight. Gods should always watch out to protect the dignity of their fellow gods. This incident shouldn't be spoken about from now on. ...”

  I get a strange itchy feeling in the back of my neck and I reach back to scratch myself. The feeling doesn't go away though. I turn and find Celestial in front of me with half closed eyes and an expressionless face. Lidith and Jazira look at me in disgust.

  Then it strikes me. “Probably you are misunderstanding the situation, if we take a look at the footage...”

  “~Kneel.~”

  I try to smile and raise a finger. “I believe there should be a proper...”

  “~KNEEL!~”

  Celestial's voice doesn't allow for any further discussion.

  “Yes. Ma'am.” I get down on both knees.

  Sphere of Sous

  Lidith

  “What a fight! And just one more match to go!” I punch the air to get rid of my euphoria. “I would've never thought that we'd get this far!”

  Celestial is sitting on her unconscious husband's lap and sips on her tea. “It had to be expected. Ascathon's equipment changes the fights completely after all.”

  Jazira is looking out of the window of our lounge. “They are still trying to repair the arena...” She turns and stares at Ascathon. “Are you sure that this was smart? Don't we need him for the next fight?”

  Celestial shrugs her shoulders and pulls a syringe from a strap on her thigh. “I'll wake him up when it's time. Until then I'll sit on his lap. You guys have to realize how hard it is to control him. One little slip of your attention, a little bit of too much free room and you have a situation like this.”

  She takes another sip from her tea. “I admit that it was my fault. The leash wasn't tight enough.” She closes her eyes and slowly shakes her head.

  My memory returns to two days ago, when I had my pupils registered as gods. “Well. As long as nobody triggers his other side... I am happy.”

  Jazira nods enthusiastically. “I am so glad that you can control him! I almost peed myself back then.”

  I purse my lips. “You don't have to be so direct about it.”

  “~It is as it is.~” Jazira turns back to the window. “Looks like they are done.”

  True to her words, we are transported back into the arena. Celestial immediately grabs her husband to keep him from falling over and injects him with the syringe. Then she places him in the same kneeling position as he was before.

  I puff my cheeks. “What's the point if he doesn't remember?”

  Celestial smiles and sends a cold glare up to the ranks of spectators. “~Did you ever train a pet?~” All of them nod in unison.

  Sphere of Sous

  Ascathon

  I blink. “What happened?”

  “~I punished you.~”

  But nothing happened? I just knelt down? Hmm. Aneth and his team are gone though? Did they feel the danger and run away. “I don't get it?”

  Celestial smiles warmly at me. “Let's just say that your wife is generous and wise. She knows when she should deal just a little punishment. You may stand up know. The finals are about to start.”

  I try to get up, but drop to the ground instead. “My legs are burrrnning!” What's this witchery! She didn't even touch me. Through the air? No, others would be affected too.

  “~Never do it again.~”

  “I'll never do it again!” I gasp! “Give me the antidote.” Celestial bends down and kisses me on the forehead. “Cast a regeneration spell. That should be enough. ~This time.~”

  I do as I was told and the prickling pain disappears. “My sugar cat is surely generous.”

  Another group of opponents appears as I get to my feet. One moment... wasn't that too fast? There was almost no time between the matches? My watch says that three hours passed! Did I have a blackout?

  “... And finally the finals! On the right are -The four Pillars of Death-! And on the left are our champions! First there is Gemesh the Vigilant! A real fighter! Strong in all matters of combat! He deserves the title champion! …”

  Gemesh has light brown hair and a muscular body. He waves at the crowd of spectators. His face looks rough. A huge sword is on his back and he wears shining plate armour.

  “... Cassandra the Lusty is our winner from the last tournament. Also known as …”

  “THE PANTY FLASHER!” Lidith calls out and points at Cassandra. Cassandra wears a beautiful blue dress which matches her blue hair. Though the dress seems to be a little too short. Her figure is good, though not as tempting as the bunny girl from earlier.

  “... Yeah, that's her nickname! As a master of distraction, she takes every possible opportunity to turn the battle to her advantage! …”

  “... The final team member is Zerberon the Hellion. One of the best flame users I know of! His flame magic is truly on another level! …”

  The commentator continues to speak, but I don't pay attention to him. “We have just three opponents? They must be strong if they got this far.”

  Celestial nods. “We shouldn't underestimate them. Let's try to protect...”

  Lidith interrupts her and steps forward. “There is no need! Cassandra! I challenge you to a one on one duel! Our teams aren't allowed to interfere.”

  Cassandra smirks. “Why do you think that I would accept something stupid like that?”

  Lidith crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Because you will be always looked down upon as the Panty Flasher otherwise! Last time you just won because you show...”

  Cassandra turns red. “ENOUGH! Fine! Let's do this! Just you and me! And then your stupid...”

  Gemesh taps her shoulder. “But this year it is a team fight.”

  “Shut up! I put this team together, so I decide the rules!” Cassandra barks at him.

  Then we are transported to the battlefield. As soon as we arrive, both Lidith and Cassandra jump at each other with bared teeth releasing their battle aura to the limit. Grabbing each other’s hands and interlocking their fingers, they start to wrestle with each other.

  We are in a rocky landscape with many grassy hills. The ground under our feet is dry and cracked from the heat.

  Gemesh and Zerberon walk slowly around them. Gemesh forces a smile onto his face and bows to the three of us. “I am sorry that you have to witness this. But this wrestling match is something they’ve been doing for almost a thousand years. Probably you expected some kind of grand fight during the finals.”

  Celestial shrugs her shoulders. “It's fine. But how long will it take them to get tired.” She g
estures at Lidith and Cassandra.

  Zerberon scratches his head. “It could take a while.”

  I summon five deckchairs. A wave of my hand pulls a grill and a big cooling box from my extra-dimensional storage and I hum a happy tune while I stab an umbrella against the sun into the ground.

  By opening the cooling box, I reveal everything which is needed for a decent camping party. Cooking tools, drinks, meat, seafood, candy...

  I take a piece of meat and place it onto the grill.

  Then I take a soft drink from the cooling box. When I sit down I realize that all eyes are on me.

  Celestial smiles and takes a look into the box. Of course none of the food is from our world. She pulls a big bar of chocolate out of it. “From where did you get all that stuff honey?”

  I arch an eyebrow. “I looted a nearby technological world with a decent culture? Do you believe that I would be satisfied with the stuff from home after becoming a god?”

  The others shrug and take a seat.

  Only Jazira keeps standing while she watches Lidith and Cassandra. Suddenly her expression turns creepy and she starts drooling.

  She raises her hand and points her finger at the dry ground under them. A stream of water shoots out of a magical circle, which appeared in front of her, turning the dried up ground into mud.

  Lidith and Cassandra slip. They fall to the ground, but continue their competition. The fight turns into mud wrestling within seconds!

  Jazira gives us a thumbs up and drops herself into the remaining chair.

  104 - Triumph.

  Sphere of Sous

  Ascathon

  “This is a really big party!” I wave my glass with wine at the huge open air stage and the dancing area the size of a football field.

  Jazira and Celestial are filling their plates at the buffet, while Lidith is with me at our table. She is grinning and looks a little drunk. A huge trophy is in front of her.

  She gestures with her glass at the party around us and spills half of the content. “Isn't it great? I managed to secure us the first place! Even Gemesh has to acknowledge my strength now.”