Chapter 17: Crimson Fate

“Look, I know you were probably looking for me, but can we just pretend we never ran into each other and go our separate ways?” Nerez asked, scratching his head.

“If you already know I was looking for you, why even ask?” the newcomer shot back, pointing her lance at him.

“Because hope is the last thing you lose…”

Nerez let out a tired sigh, tightening his grip on the black book at his side.

“I already told you. You’re the reason I still can’t ascend. This conflict is inevitable.”

“What do I have to do with you? And for that matter, with everyone else trying to come after me…”

“The others are just chasing glory. They think making a name for themselves might still give them a chance to ascend… tch, what a bunch of fools,” the girl replied, looking toward where the battlefield had been. “Or rather, they were… You’re powerful. I’ll give you that.”

I just throw skeletons at people…

“But my case is different. You and I are candidates for the same domain in this new world.”

“I’d heard that already… Couldn’t I just hand it over to you, by any chance? The library, death, whatever it is? I’d be perfectly happy as the god of sitting around and doing nothing.”

“That’s not how this works, and it’s not what I want either!” the redhead shouted, shaking her lance. “I want a fair duel!”

“Ugh… Why are all you immortals so difficult?”

“I’m me, Cerys. Don’t lump me in with the rest. I’ll become a goddess and prove everyone in my village wrong.”

The girl took her long lance in both hands and settled into a stance that made her look ready to spring at him at any moment.

“Your name was Nereziel, if I remember correctly. Prepare yourself.”

“Nerez is enough… But there are villages of demigods? Seeing Aren and Vilkie, I thought they lived in their clans’ domains alongside the gods…”

“I was a fire spirit before I became a demigoddess. My home lies deep inside the volca- Wait! That’s none of your business!”

“Mm? Wasn’t that Odrian guy the son of a god of fire…? Does that have anything to do with your duel with him?”

“I already said that’s none of your business!”

“Boo! If the people in your village said you were aggressive, let me tell you, they had a point.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Silence! Nerez, bring out your Eidolon already!”

Nerez let out a sigh and opened the heavy Book of Death in his left hand. Then he raised his right arm, palm up.

Soon the ground trembled, and countless skeletons armed and clad in rusted metal began to rise all around him.

“Honestly, I’m already getting tired of being dragged into this kind of situation,” Nerez muttered, his eyes fixed on his opponent. “At this rate, I’m going to have to find whatever the Divine Order actually is and have a few words with it.”

“I didn’t come here to listen to your complaints,” Cerys snapped, tightening her grip on the lance. “I came here to take your head!”

Cerys shot forward at tremendous speed, but her path was already filling with skeletons, while Nerez himself disappeared deeper into the skeletal horde (with visible distaste at having to do so).