87 What Just Happened?

*FLASH* The Tribulation Circle pulsed.

Despite the huge increase in the Tribulation's size, Eridel remained indifferent. His Will impervious and unwilling to buckle before the might of his own creation. So long as a Rainbow Tribulation didn't appear, he would survive, he knew it.

This wasn't just his new-born arrogance speaking either, he had already run the calculations and knew that even though this next strike would undoubtedly cause physical damage to his Planetary Body, he would survive.

If a Rainbow Tribulation didn't appear…

*FLASH* The Tribulation Circle pulsed.

Despite the fact that he had created the mechanics of the Tribulation system, he was unable to decipher the Tribulation Circle above him. The Runes were incomprehensible and he was unable to evaluate them. Even now they were morphing in shape, upgrading to fit the strength of the last and final strike that would either kill him, or reward him.

It depended on whether the final Strike was Red or Rainbow Coloured

The Integral Laws had hijacked his own concept and even improved on it– putting he, the creator, within the scope of it's judgement. However, with his mind clearer than ever, he could acknowledge that if he had unknowingly lived to see the day that Fate forcefully took back it's Fortune… he would suffer.

Even if he cried a sea of blood for hundreds of thousands of years, or scraped at his own soul until all memories and thought ceased to exist… his sorrow would not end.

A million reincarnations wouldn't be enough to wipe away his despair and it would even pervade the rest of the Galaxy like a curse. Who knows, his misery might even form a life, becoming an entity that would be infinitely more calamitous than the Slime Abomination. That was how crazy- no, taboo the feats that he had performed on the Eridius World were.

'It matters not. I have… luckily… escaped what would have been my terrible fate... Luck, I'm beginning to hate that word.'

Eridel stared at the Tribulation as it began making its final adjustments and secretly sighed. Even if the power of the Tribulation had escaped his understanding, the intervals of the Tribulations had not changed. It had roughly 5 seconds left for the last pulse and 2 more seconds for the final Strike.

There was no more time for an increase in Grade.

'It would seem that it's not my destiny to die here.' Eridel thought as he began to slowly count down the seconds. A Rainbow Tribulation would not claim his life today.

'5…'

A loud keening sound could be heard from the Tribulation Circle as it continued to compress the last of it's Essence.

'4…'

The Tribulation Circle trembled so violently that it caused the surrounding fabrics of space to undulate, some places even developing visible cracks.

'3…'

Eridel prematurely summoned forth new shields, stacking 3 of them 1 after the other and emptying the last of his reserves for the first time in his life. Just 0.001 of his Primordial Essence was needed for Eridel to heal his planetary body the first time he took possession of it, and now it was all being emptied to resist a single attack. The reason he hadn't used extra shields in the previous Tribulation Lights was all for this moment. That goes to show how serious Eridel was taking this final strike. The worst and most judgmental strike.

'2…'

The Tribulation's aura became so intense that it caused even the Barrier to vibrate, prompting to Eridel watch with rapt attention, looking for any-

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!

'What?!!'

Eridel's Core pulsed with fear as a loud explosion boomed throughout space with the intensity of the Tribulation's aura shooting up to apocalyptic levels. The Barrier developed cracks all over the place from the unbearable pressure and even looked like it would shatter at any moment.

And as if to confirm Eridel's growing anxiety, 6 more colours had appeared on the Tribulation Circle, striking fear into his non-existent heart.

The Tribulation had broken through to Rainbow Grade.

And it was marvellous.

It's World-collapsing aura threatened to overwhelm Eridel's newly refined Will within a second as it's luminous multi-coloured lights flashed throughout space, painting the Eridius World in wonderful colours. A terrifying DO-DO-DO-DO-DO sound could be heard as the Tribulation's undulations repeatedly battered against the fabrics of space, causing spatial tears to rapidly appear.

'I'm finished! …But I refuse to wait for dea-!'

CRACK-PFFFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffff…

A loud crack followed by an incomprehensible deflating sound was heard as the Tribulation Circle suddenly bulked, barely pausing for a second before it started shrinking in size. It's spectacular 7 colours reduced to the one Red and the daunting aura collapsing.

"...What?" Eridel uncontrollably spoke out, befuddled by the series of events.

The Tribulation didn't stop shrinking until it reached a size that was only double that of the 2nd Strike with the appropriate matching aura and colour.

'What just happe-'

BAAANG!

The 3rd Tribulation Strike slammed into Eridel's set of shields. The first shield was unable to last for long and it shattered, causing pain to flare over his soul. But that was it.

The last and final strike had been anticlimactically stopped at the second barrier.

Eridel watched with disbelief as the Tribulation peacefully dispersed into the air, vanishing from existence as if it had never been there before. For a moment he was in a sort of limbo, trying to grasp onto reality, wondering whether his senses had failed him or what he had just seen was really real, and not an illusion.

…But how could he suffer from illusion in such a situation? He would have been dead by now!

Eridel quickly brought himself back together, preparing for any sudden change in the situation. Yet nothing happened. He was, however, quickly able to comprehend what he had just experienced and couldn't help but think how surreal the whole situation was.

The truth was that Eridel had been practically touching the threshold for Rainbow Tribulation on the 3rd Strike this whole time, but wasn't quite there. This pretty much resulted in the Tribulation being undecided, only beginning the transformation to Rainbow at the last moment.

However, that was a terrible moment to change Grades. The final pulse before the release of the Strike had occurred and disrupted the whole process, even causing damage to it and reducing the strength of the 3rd Strike to something that was even weaker than what he would have been given before the upgrade attempt.

'This… I couldn't have just used up more fortune, right?'