Scarlet

I scowl at the annoying creature in front of me. The one that woke me up from my lovely nap.

An actual genuine nap. The first one I’ve had in ages.

It was such a nice nap, and I feel so much better now.

But this stupid thing had to interrupt it.

“I think we have more important things to worry about than your nap,” Tar points out from his place safely incredibly far away in the void. “I’m gonna have to leave now.”

Yeah, yeah, I understand. Too dangerous here.

Even in the void. What with the void being the Voided Overlord’s territory.

“Good luck, Scarlet,” I hear Tar’s words echo in my head. “Stay safe.”

Then his presence fades from my mind.

Leaving me alone with the Voided Overlord as its domain spreads out around me. Turning everything nearby into the void.

But the Overlord isn’t the only one with a domain.

My own domain begins to spread out around me. Something that I’ve never allowed happen due to the consequences it brings to my surroundings.

Droplets of glowing red blood begin appearing all over as a deep crimson tint covers everything around me and spreads further out. Soon combatting the space-turned-void within its own domain.

And the second our two domains clash between us, the two of us not moving from our spots, a powerful wave made up of glowing red blood and pitch black void energy is sent flying outwards in all directions. Destroying worlds that are located millions upon millions of kilometers away from us with ease. Each of which is already abandoned at this point.

Honestly, I didn’t know the Voided Overlord had a humanoid form. It’s completely new to me, and I’m a little irritated that no one bothered to tell me.

If I’d known then I would’ve expected the Overlord to have come out of the void sooner than I was expecting.

Our domains continue to clash as we stare at each other, destroying absolutely everything around us as the universe is painted in black and crimson. And when my domain reaches objects within the space around us, the objects begin to turn into Red Plague themselves. Only to join my domain and empower it further.

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The entire reason I almost always avoid using my domain.

Because it’s indiscriminate in its rampage.

My domain turns absolutely everything in it into the powers under my control.

Objects turn into Red Plague. Living, sapient creatures turn into a strange type of Red Plague werewolves that are fully subservient to me. And anything else is eliminated.

Nullified.

But…

My eyes narrow at the Voided Overlord’s own domain.

Just like how my domain uses my three different main powers, the Voided Overlord’s domain uses its one power. Its power to absorb and devour everything.

Which is why everything its domain touches is immediately devoured, including reality and the universe itself. Leaving nothing behind in its wake but the void as it devours everything. Strengthening itself in the process.

At the same time, I can absorb anything turned into the Red Plague to strengthen myself.

Which, considering the lack of living, sapient creatures nearby, is pretty much everything around me right now. What with me being the only sapient thing nearby. Including the Voided Overlord, which isn’t sapient.

So our battle between domains simply consists of our domains spreading further and further our, devouring everything nearby while painting it all crimson and black. With us being on the opposite side of the universe from the surviving people and worlds.

The ones untouched by the void creatures.

Then, during our faceoff, I begin to sense void creatures entering the range of my domain. And most likely some are entering the Voided Overlord’s domain as well.

But all of them are devoured in an instant. Adding to my strength.

With the number of void creatures entering my domain doing nothing but expanding by the second, even with them all being devoured.

Almost like all of the void creatures are flocking straight towards the Voided Overlord.

A fact that I find proven when I take a brief glance at the other side of the universe. Which is now barren of void creatures.

Well, that’s certainly one way to deal with those pests.

Although, I find myself frowning a little when I see the large screens floating above Earth and Tartarus, each showing me with my jacket billowing a little from the shockwaves along with my hair as I face off against the Voided Overlord. The two of us just staring at teach other as our domains tear apart chunks of the universe in their battle.

Meanwhile all of the people, demons and humans, on the two planets cheer as if their lives were on the lines.

Which they are.

A part of me wants to just devour the System screens showing the battle. But another part knows how the people there feel. With all of them feeling anxious and afraid. All unable to do anything in my battle. The battle that determines the fate of the universe itself.

So all they can do is sit there and cheer, watching me fight.

And it would be a little cruel to take their only view of what’s happening away from them.

With that in mind, I take my attention away from the screens as I refocus on the Voided Overlord. Simply letting my domain expand more and more, devouring all of the void creatures that enter it. And I try to push it even more myself just so that I can devour more void creatures than the Voided Overlord does.

Because at this point, whoever devours more of them will end up stronger.

The waves sent out from our clashing domains grow stronger and stronger, and with my increased output, the Voided Overlord’s domain begins to slowly get pushed back. Until the Voided Overlord starts pushing its own domain further as well.

At which point the waves grow even stronger once more.

My eyes narrow a little and the slightest hint of a smirk stretches across my face.

It’s weird.

Despite the situation, the threat to the universe, and the danger I’m actually in, I feel…

Good.

Excited.

The smirk stretches further into a smile.

Time for the greatest hunt of my life.