Chapter 39: The Battle of the Curtain

The looks of shock and astonishment mingled with terror that surfaced upon the face of the soul possessing Michael’s body were enough to articulate the scale of chaos and turmoil residing deep within him, far more eloquently than any description a pen could write;

For this soul inhabiting Michael’s body had believed that the "gender-swapping" technique operated under fixed, immutable laws: a male soul could yield nothing but a male form, while the presence of a female soul could bring forth only a woman. It had never crossed his mind that he might witness such a wondrous, supernatural sight..!

Due to this harsh surprise, and despite the gravity of the situation and the looming threat, he froze in place like a statue, as though a temporary paralysis had struck his muscles and limbs.

When Elliot noticed those panicked and stricken expressions drawn on his opponent’s face, a mocking smile dripping with sarcasm and disdain carved itself onto his lips, before he followed up in a provocative tone: "Oh.. did you like my handsome, manly face to such a great extent? Or do you need a picture to contemplate later?"

These sarcastic words fell like burning oil poured upon the embers of his rage, igniting a surging wave of fierce anger within the demonic man, who screamed in a tone overflowing with aggression and threat: "You whore!.. You must learn some manners immediately, and I will show you your true place right now!"

At that instant, the demonic body attacked impulsively and frantically toward Elliot without preparing any calculated plan; his sole concern and obsession at that moment was to completely destroy Elliot, crushing him under his feet to discharge his rage and avenge his humiliated pride.

Elliot saw that entity rushing toward him like a raging bull, so he pulled a sufficient amount of air into his lungs, then moved with agility and speed to sprint away from the path of his fierce assault. Elliot was not originally an adept fighter or a practitioner of hand-to-hand combat techniques, but if there was one thing he had mastered and excelled in since his early youth, it was the supreme skill of climbing and his ability to handle heights!

Indeed, barely two seconds passed before the demonic man found himself utterly incapable of reaching him; for Elliot clung to the edges of the tall velvet curtains hanging on the sides of the room, scaling them with legendary skill and grace as though he were a lightweight entity, stepping after two consecutive leaps with breathtaking lightness atop the wide wooden curtain rod at the highest point of the ceiling.

The demonic soul saw that sight, trying out of ignorance and recklessness to imitate him and climb up through the curtains via the same path Elliot had taken; however, he failed to realize that skill is not acquired through superficial imitation, and that his heavy demonic body lacked such flexibility. It was only a matter of moments before his grip betrayed him, and he fell in a hilarious, booming crash onto his back, causing a loud racket throughout the room!

He rose from the floor, dusting off his exhausted body, screaming upward in a threatening tone dripping with malice: "You cowardly woman hiding in the heights!.. Come down here immediately before I climb up to you myself and make you taste the hideous, harshest forms of torment that no human mind has ever conceived!"

Elliot, standing firm and balanced atop the high wooden pole, looked down at Michael’s body burning with rage and madness as he screamed at him to descend; yet Elliot’s response was neither words nor retreat, but rather raising his middle finger right in his face with utter coldness, without the slightest grain of interest or deterrence:

"Heh!.. You say I am a woman? Don’t you see, you fool, this body and this solid pole I possess right now? I believe you are the one who ought to worry and tremble; for I can sit and anchor myself here for long hours without batting an eye. I can then gradually and fully restore my magical power, at which point you won’t even be able to touch the hem of my robe even if you wanted to with all the strength you possess!"

Elliot’s words were sharp and provocative to the extreme limit of endurance, and the demonic soul residing in Michael’s body recognized that he was neither maneuvering nor lying; for remaining in this state meant wasting the allotted time for the test, and if that time expired without completing the swapping process, the matter would end for all of them in extinction and absolute failure inside this dark nightmare.

He had to climb to reach Elliot’s position and subdue him with brute force as quickly as possible, to guarantee his survival!

He tried climbing again with all the strength and desire for violence his hands possessed, yet he soon discovered once more how useless, clumsy, and lacking in the slightest elements of balance he was in this difficult domain. Elliot continued watching his foolish and pathetic attempts from his elevated position, smiling with complete coldness and satisfaction, and this embarrassing comedy show continued for nearly half an hour; as the opponent attempted to climb one step, only to retreat and fall repeatedly time after time.

Ultimately, after immense exertion and pouring sweat, he was on the verge of achieving his goal; for he persisted and clung with doubled effort until he nearly reached the top, his head reaching the level of Elliot’s feet, while looks of revenge and evil flew from his bloodshot eyes: "I will kill you!.. I will chop you to pieces!"

Yet Elliot, with unrivaled composure right before his eyes, calmly reached out his hand toward the side wooden bracket that fixed the heavy curtain to the wall!

The demonic soul could not utter a single word or direct a strike, because both of his hands were clinging to the top of the curtain with all the strength they possessed so as not to fall to the bottom. He tried desperately to hold on with one hand to bear the weight, extending his other hand slowly and with doubled effort toward Elliot’s hand to prevent him from moving the bracket, his face contorting and stretching from sheer exhaustion and nervous pressure..

Yet Elliot, with a mocking smile devoid of any mercy, pressed his hand against the mounting lock and unlatched it entirely!

CRASHHH!..

The large velvet curtain collapsed and fell entirely downward, plunging the demonic soul with its exhausted, broken body once more onto the hard floor, while Elliot’s loud, mocking laughter erupted throughout the room as he contemplated this humiliating, degrading fall of his filthy opponent!