BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The arena is meant to withstand the force of a supermassive black hole, yet with each impact, the ground cracking beneath their feet as Ivy and Nathaniel clashed. Purple fire formed around Ivy's hands, colliding with Nathaniel's 'unbreakable' barrier in bursts of golden light.
Lightning arced overhead, responding to the chaos below while jagged pillars crumbled under the force of their battle.
It had been a week, or at least, it felt like it. Time didn't flow here as the arena existed outside of time. Every punch landed against Nathaniel's defenses carried the weight of her frustration, her anger, her unyielding determination to make him pay for what he'd done.
Nathaniel tried to twist her resolve. "You're wasting your time." he said coolly, dodging a fiery blast.
"Aric is just a human, Ivy. Replaceable. He'll forget you when he dies. Every human does."
Ivy froze mid-strike, her eyes narrowing into slits, "Don't you dare talk about him like that."
"Oh, but it's true." Nathaniel adjusted his tone with false sympathy.
"He's fragile, mortal. He wouldn't even survive if the world came to an end. Why do you care so much? You've seen countless humans come and go. What makes this one so special?"
"You don't get to decide who matters to me." She swung her fist, not caring that her shadow separated from her body again, lashing out like a whip. It struck Nathaniel square in the chest, sending him stumbling back.
"Aric isn't just some pawn in your plans. He's MINE. And you almost killed him."
Nathaniel straightened himself, "Yours? Really? Since when did you become this possessive? It's almost creepy."
He struck a mock freezing pose. "But tell me, Ivy. What happens when he grows old and dies? Will you cling to his memory then, like some mother mourning her dead child? Or will you move on, like everyone else does?"
"Fuck you, cocksucker." Ivy spat. "I'm not like everyone else."
"And neither is Aric."
"Ah, yes," Nathaniel said, regenerating his barrier as he smiled. "Because you're soooo special. So much more than a mere administrator of existence. Well… ex-administrator, I suppose. But I have to admit, you certainly made a scene about wanting 'order' when you first met us."
He looked at her with cold eyes to study her. "But I digress. You're on our level, and yet here you are, throwing tantrums over a single human. Doesn't that seem… beneath you? You could look into billions of worlds and pluck another man with Aric's qualities."
Ivy's aura flared brighter, blue flames surrounding her form.
"Stop trying to gaslight me, Nathaniel. I'm not Lysandra. You can't twist my feelings or guilt-trip me into submission."
At the mention of Lysandra, Nathaniel's smirk faltered slightly.
"Lysandra made her choice. She trusted me and look where it got her. Isn't that proof enough that emotions cloud judgment?"
"No. What it proves is that you're a fucking liar and even a bigger coward. You betrayed her trust because it suited your plans. You knew she had the keys since she was a friend to Being as well."
"You betrayed her trust, all to just unleashed Lilith because you were angry that someone fucked with your plan."
"And yet, here we are." Nathaniel countered, spreading his arms wide.
"Seraphina awakened. Lilith sealed. Everything is proceeding according to fate. My plan is inevitable."
"Fate?" Ivy laughed bitterly. "This isn't fate. This is you playing God to the worst extent and screwing everything up because you couldn't handle someone derailing your precious plans."
"Aric was never meant to interfere. His awakening disrupted my planning. If he hadn't meddled—"
Ivy interrupted, "Don't pretend this is about fate or meddling or some other mumbo jumbo bullshit. It's about control. Your desire to control every single fucking thing. About making sure no one steps out of line."
She charged at him again and her fist connected with his jaw so powerful that a few universes imploded. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth,
"You think violence solves anything? You think winning this duel and getting that contract will fix everything? My plans need certain things and I will get them one way or another."
"It solves you shutting the fuck up." Ivy shot back, grabbing him by the collar once more.
"Fix Aric, now. Before I fuck up your ugly ass face even more."
Nathaniel growled, shoving her away. "I told you already. I'll uphold my end of the deal. Once you stop acting like a child."
Ivy's patience snapped. She summoned a vortex of energy around them,
"Wrong answer."
Before she could strike again, the arena trembled violently. A blinding light filled the space, forcing both combatants to shield their eyes. When the brightness faded, five figures stood between them: the Being, Lysandra, Eos, Daphne, and Luna.
"What is the meaning of this?" Nathaniel said in confusion but also in anger,
"This is none of your concern, loves!"
"Oh, but it is." Eos replied smoothly,
"Your little tantrum has gone on long enough, dear husband."
"Tantrum?" Nathaniel scoffed. "I'm merely dealing with an unruly former lover."
"Former being the key word." Ivy muttered under her breath.
Lysandra stepped forward, "Enough okay? It took us a while to find this arena since it was so far away from our zone. We're here to ensure Nathaniel honours the contract and prevent further destruction. The awakening can still go on but you have to find a way to do it without causing destruction into my world."
"The contract?" Nathaniel echoed, feigning innocence.
"I signed it willingly. There's no need for interference. She will get what she wan—"
"Save it." Daphne interjected sharply,
"We know why you delayed sealing Lilith. It wasn't about fate like how we know it. It was pettiness because Aric challenged your authority. You couldn't take the disrespect and threw a fucking nuke into that world. Lilith is mentally unstable and wants to end the humans because of their history with each other."
"You got Lys to give you the key when she had to take care of some errands with Aurelius. You used that opportunity and got Lilith. You used her to do the dirty work and while you may not have wanted to kill Aric, you sure as hell didn't mind it either."
Luna spoke up next, her voice was firm, "You hurt people, Nathaniel. People who trusted you. That includes Ivy, Lysandra, and even us."
Ivy glanced at Luna, surprised by her words. Despite everything, she harboured no ill will toward the woman who Nathaniel had cheated with. In fact, she respected Luna's strength and resilience.
Still, hearing her call out Nathaniel brought a small measure of satisfaction.
"This...does put a smile on my face."
The Being raised a hand, silencing everyone,
"There's no point in dragging this out further. Nathaniel, you will fulfill your obligations to Aric. No delays. No excuses."
"Right here. Right now."
"And if I refuse?" Nathaniel asked, though his voice lacked conviction.
The air around them started to turn cold. The lightning amplified and the ground started to crack. The Being looked at him with cold eyes and exuded aura that made everyone shiver except for Ivy,
"Then I guess, you wouldn't mind fighting me then? You don't mind finding out right?"
When there was only silence, her aura grew stronger making the entire arena floor crack. Her face darkened now as if waiting for a challenge,
"So, what's it gonna be? Will you do it the nice and easy way and get Aric into a better shape. Or, are you prepared to lose everything? Including your own life."
Nathaniel looked genuinely uneasy.
Shit. My own wives turned against me...I have no choice but to play nice.
"Fine. I'll fix him. I'll do it right now."
"Good." The Being finally stopped exuding her aura and the surrounding air became normal again.
"Because the next time I ask you something, you better do it with a big ol smile. Or have the balls to follow through with your threats."
"Y...yes. I understand."
With that, the tension in the arena dissipated. The others began to leave, but Ivy lingered, watching Nathaniel closely. Though the immediate threat had passed, she knew better than to trust him completely.
Still, Nathaniel already snapped his finger and Ivy could see from her phone that Aric's soul and mind were being repaired at a fast rate. Lysandra paused beside Ivy, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you for standing up for all of us. Especially...for me. I'm sorry for blindly trusting him...I should've known better."
Ivy nodded while placing her hand onto hers, "Aric deserves better and so do you. None of us should have to endure his dumb games anymore. Besides, he is a sweet talker, so I understand if you fell for his honey foul mouth."
Lysandra smiled faintly. "Let's hope this teaches him a lesson."
But deep down, they both knew Nathaniel rarely learned from his mistakes. For now though, they had secured a fragile peace and ensured Aric would receive the help he needed.