Scarlet

The instant I activate Crimson Overdrive after shooting it up over a dozen levels in one go, black and crimson energy immediately covers my fist. Yes. Black and crimson. Not just the normal crimson.

Rather surprising.

Then I get a bigger surprise when I slam my fist into the ground and a massive crack emerges going down farther than I can see.

I awkwardly raise my fist while standing up straight again and staring at the massive fissure I made. One that is so deep I’m pretty sure I can see some red light down at the very bottom that might just be lava.

Uh.

Oops?

“It might be for the best that you test your new strength off world,” Tar suggests as we both just kinda stare rather awkwardly at the red light. A light I’m pretty sure is actually growing brighter ever so slowly until I finally see lava rising. But fortunately for me, the lava stops rising about halfway through the fissure. Which means I didn’t break into the core of the planet or something. “Yeah, you should just go test yourself on a nearby planet.”

Right. Sounds like a plan.

I quickly make my way away from the massive fissure that I’m sure no one will notice before floating up into the sky. Higher and higher until I flat out leave the atmosphere and continue flying through space, having to adjust mentally to not breathing again. Just like when I was hunting the void creatures before this entire tournament began.

Except this time it’s easier because of Ruler of Blood. A skill that’s quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Not sure which I like more at this point. Ruler of Blood or Warden of the Red Plague.

Probably the Warden of the Red Plague since it lets me directly devour the realities of others, raising my level in the process.

Anyways, I continue floating through space for a bit, making sure to keep Tartarus in my sight so as to not get lost in space. Because that would be both awkward and not good.

Eventually I stop at a random asteroid far enough away from Tartarus before enhancing my fist as much as I can with Crimson Overdrive and then slamming it straight into the asteroid while also enhancing my fist with the Red Plague in it and creating a drill of blood metal over it.

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And the instant my drill-covered fist slams into the asteroid, it cracks straight down the middle. The tens of thousands of meters long asteroid.

Just plain split in half in a single punch.

Hmm.

Yeah.

Probably for the best that I avoid using my full strength on Earth from now on.

Makes me wonder if Gramps is capable of this and possibly more, since his level is higher. And he’s far older and likely has even more physical enhancement skills than I have.

Hmm.

I glance back towards Tartarus before shrugging to myself and turning back to face a different asteroid. Then I create a bunch of blood and wrap the entire asteroid in it before moving the thing around a little.

This is kinda fun.

I continue experimenting for a little bit, doing whatever I can think of. Whether that’s moving the asteroids, shattering them, crushing them, devouring them with Red Plague to see if it benefits me any. Which it doesn’t really do much.

After finishing up with my experiments, I begin playing around with my strength, trying to adjust it so that I get the hang of it. A process that takes me a couple of hours to do.

Then I begin to float back, only for Tar to comment, “Please tell me you’re not just gonna leave this mess out here to possibly crash into Tartarus one day?”

I pause before turning around and waving my hand, sending a massive wave of Red Plague out to devour all of the asteroids. And without pausing, I turn back around and begin making my way back towards Tartarus again.

“Ya know, you’re acting rather calm despite this… immense power you’ve gotten over the years,” Tar suddenly points out about halfway through my trip.

That almost has me pausing in place, but I continue moving regardless.

Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter how strong I am so long as I can deal with the Voided Overlord.

Then I can finally make my dream come true.

I can feel Tar’s surprise through our bond as he asks, “Wait, you have a dream? Why haven’t I heard about this?”

That has me sending him a raised brow, the tanuki sitting on my shoulder like always.

You don’t know? I just want to live in peace and be able to relax.

He stares at me for a moment and mutters, “Oh. That’s not what I expected when you said you had a dream.”

I face forwards again with a shrug.

Meh.

It’s what I want.

A peaceful life where no one bothers me. Where I don’t have to deal with idiots attacking me, with demons attacking Earth, with the universe coming to an end.

One where I can just play video games or read. Where I don’t have to, well, deal with idiots at all, really.

“Hmm,” Tar hums for a second before I feel his tail thumping against my back. “Yeah, I guess that fits what I’d expect of you.”

Yep.

I am me after all.

That makes him snort right as we begin reentering Tartarus’s atmosphere and descending downwards towards the central continent.

After a moment of silence, I mutter out loud, “Ya know, Tar?”

“Yeah?” he asks while glancing at me from my shoulder.

“I’m glad I met you,” I tell him with a smile on my face.

He just smiles back.

Then a peaceful silence falls between the two of us as we both slowly descend towards the ground.

Only to find Gramps standing in front of his castle staring up at us while tapping his foot with a frown on his face.

Uh, he doesn’t look happy.

“Ya think?” Tar asks, his voice echoing in my head.

You think it’s because of the fissure?

“Probably,” Tar answers with a nod.

Then… any chance I can act like I have no idea who or what caused it?

“Nope,” he says without any hesitation.

Well, shit.