Crimson Eternal - Book 6 - Chapter 7

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Don't mind this fluff. It's so that free readers can't click on the link.
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Click on the following link for the 1422 word chapter 7:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DRBwZv0JURuPsyr3tTQ9RdJ-cNlwk-_XwQ7kabSczdM/edit?usp=sharing

Or you can read the unformatted version below:

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On the Outskirts of the Rein Empire

“This isn’t looking good,” Commander Ralta says with a grimace on his face as he looks out through the bridge at the battle going on outside.

The battle is currently progressing in a manner opposite from how he would prefer to see it. With the enemy forces pushing them back, and the losses building up.

“At this rate…” the commander says, trailing off within moments of starting. Mainly because he doesn’t want to finish his thought.

Especially not in front of the others in the bridge.

One of the worst things he could do as the commander is to express thoughts like that out loud in front of his own subordinates. So he holds himself back.

But right when he’s about to begin calling for an update on when their reinforcements will arrive, he receives a call himself.

“Reinforcements are arriving now,” an officer from the headquarters says through their comms.

The corners of the commander’s mouth quirk upwards as he begins mentally celebrating without showing signs of it on the outside. Instead he just says, “Understood. What are their numbers?”

A brief pause follows before the officer crashes the commander’s hopes by saying, “One.”

The commander blinks at that before opening his mouth to ask for further clarification, only for him to be interrupted when a massive black and crimson ship appears out of nowhere on the outskirts of the battlefield.

It’s really just one?! How is that going to…

His thoughts begin to trail off as he notices the emblem on the side of the large ship. Because the emblem looks familiar to him.

But he doesn’t think about it for long as he focuses on the comms again and begins to speak, “How is a single-”

He stops when the massive ship suddenly reveals more weapons than he can count before beginning to fire into the battlefield. Shooting down one ship after another.

Commander Ralta’s mouth drops open for a moment before he closes it again. Then he calmly declares into his comms, “Reinforcements have arrived.” Acting like he wasn’t about to start swearing at HQ for abandoning them.

Then he feels even more shocked when a woman literally floats out of the massive ship with her hands in her jacket pockets. And despite her low level for a battlefield like this, she doesn’t show any signs of not being able to breathe.

When he realizes she’s a crimson based on her hair and eye color, he doesn’t feel as surprised by that. But his surprise comes back with a vengeance when he finally begins to fully recognize her face and the emblem.

The muttered comments from the other people in the bridge don’t help either.

“The Horseman of Death?!” “It’s Death!” “Ariaaaa!” “We’ve got a Horseman on our side?!”

Just how much did they spend to bring a Horseman to our side?!

Commander Ralta isn’t stupid. While he didn’t recognize her emblem right away, he knows just how terrifying the Horseman of Death is.

And his thoughts are confirmed when the Horseman of Death opens up thousands of rifts all across space while spreading a thick layer of miasma and death energy all across the battlefield.

Of course, the miasma and death energy aren’t enough to cause major problems with the enemies, the fact that it’s targeting just the enemies alone and is this dense makes it harder for them to see. It also makes it so that the enemies all have to be careful not to let it touch them too much since too much of it can harm them if it builds up enough.

But the most dangerous aspect of the death energy and miasma is that it makes it incredibly difficult for the enemy soldiers and knights to find Death amongst them.

Even Commander Ralta has to use one of his skills to locate her. At which point he finds her with her hands no longer in her pockets and a sword appearing in said hands. All while black flames cover her entire body and the sword.

Flames that send a chill down the commander’s spine just from looking at them.

Especially because he’s heard about those black flames.

Flames of Judgment that cause irreversible damage to those struck by them. A permanent curse that cannot be removed by anyone other than Death herself.

And one of the biggest reasons the universe is terrified of the still-low-level Horseman of Death.

Because even if she isn’t capable of dealing incredible damage very easily to high level individuals, she is still capable of dealing permanent damage. And if she does kill someone, she’s also capable of devouring their soul core and making it impossible for them to be revived.

She can grant permanent damage and even true death. There isn’t a single being in the universe that isn’t afraid of her because of that.

And now she’s running through the miasma and death energy with her blade cutting into the knights and soldiers of the enemy forces. Cursing them all with Death’s Judgment.

But because her attacks are too weak to cause serious injuries, and the death energy and miasma are covering visibility in space. On top of that, they’re too busy dealing with the death spirits so a lot of them aren’t even aware of what attacks are from Death and what are from death spirits.

So the enemy soldiers and knights all gradually build up damage while the lower level soldiers are being killed entirely one by one.

To his surprise though, at some point during the battle, a large structure forms all around the battlefield. With what appear to be castle towers appearing one by one. And on top of that, a strangely colored flame different from the black flames spreads through the battlefield.

The flame doesn’t do much of any damage, but for some reason, it acts like a marker. Telling the commander and all of his forces where the ones burned by the flame are.

Commander Ralta grins at the sight before sweeping one arm out in front of him and declaring, “Follow Death’s lead and bring this battle to a swift end!”

Cheers resound through the bridge and all across their side of the battlefield as the Rein Empire’s forces quickly turn the battle around thanks to the help of the Horseman of Death.

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Aria

This is an interesting chance to test my actual battle capabilities. Seeing as I don’t generally participate in battles much anymore.

So I sweep through the battlefield using all of my skills, marking the enemies with soul fire, burning them with Death’s Judgment, and cutting them as much as I can with my blade. All while my death spirits sweep their way through the battlefield, and I flood the battlefield with death energy and miasma to wear away at the enemies and blind them.

Something I found out a while back is that when I mark people with my soul fire, I can make it so that other people can see the marks too. Which is very useful in a large battlefield like this.

And on top of it all, setting up my death’s court here makes it so that everyone here grants me at least some progress towards my purpose.

That said, I don’t bother taking their soul cores. None of these people are quite high enough level for me to care about.

Maybe the commander. But I don’t really have any problems with these people, nor do I have a reason to give someone here true death.

So the thing most people seem to be afraid of is pointless. Seeing as I don’t plan on doing that.

It doesn’t matter to me if the opposing empire revies their forces after all. I’m just here working for them temporarily.

I don’t care if they win the war or not.

Anyway, the battle progresses rather quickly from the moment I enter it with my ship. And War keeps his promise and stays put in my ship.

Although I see him hopping from one foot to another from time to time when I pass my ship, making him look even more child-like than before. But I just ignore it.

Asher is having a good time at least, considering that he stole my commander’s chair and is taking a nap.

Which is cute.

Anyway, with some excitement about possibly gaining some levels in this battle, I continue charging my way through space with my sword covered in black flames.