Chapter 17 — The Trust That Remains Unbreakable Even Before Death
Razan hovered in the air, battered, exhausted, and still trapped in the relentless assault of Adam. Even so, he flashed a reckless grin and muttered to himself:
"Looks like I'll have to use the power of friendship."
His tone was playful, but his heart pounded with the crushing pressure of the battle. The sky above Hell was torn apart by shockwaves, cracks of light, and turbulent spirals of corrupted energy. He kicked off the air and soared even higher, breaking through another barrage of holy spears.
He narrowed his eyes, mind racing.
The only way I'm getting out of this is by increasing my power. And since I inherited Acnologia's power… I can use that ability that boosts the user's strength. Dragon Force… if I can awaken it.
He twisted sharply, barely avoiding another spear of light. It sliced past his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood. Adam appeared at his side a split second later, his expression cold and devoid of mercy, swinging a weapon made of concentrated judgment.
Razan parried with a darkened strike, their clash echoing like a thunderclap.
But how the hell do I activate that power?
at your home, Charlie watched with wide eyes. She clutched her hands tightly as she looked at her father.
"Dad, why isn't he attacking?"
Lucifer analyzed the fight calmly, arms crossed behind his back, his eyes half-lidded as if he were watching a chess match instead of a battle for survival.
"It seems he's thinking of some plan to get out of this situation."
Charlie blinked, confused.
"A plan?"
"Yes," Lucifer said with certainty. "He's not desperate. He's not flailing or screaming. He's calculating. That means he has something in mind—but hasn't found a way to execute it yet."
Across Hell, Vox slammed his fists on the table as the screens flickered with the live broadcast.
"What the hell?! Since when does someone like THAT exist in Hell, and why wasn't I informed?! What are those useless idiots doing?! How did nobody report someone that dangerous?!"
Velvette rolled her eyes, twirling her hair.
"You seriously expect those weaklings you hired to find something out? If we couldn't discover anything, what would that walking pile of garbage staff of yours ever uncover?"
Valentino exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"She has a point. Forget what we didn't know. What matters now is figuring out how to twist all this chaos to benefit us."
Vox forced himself to calm down, inhaling deeply.
"Yes… yes. This is only a setback. Nothing more."
Elsewhere, Alastor smiled even wider, his eyes glowing with static as he tapped his cane against the floor in excitement.
"Ohhh, how wonderful! What a delightful predicament. The suspense is killing me—figuratively, of course."
Back in the sky, Razan barely avoided a slice from Lute, countering with a spinning kick that sent her crashing through several buildings. Dust and debris exploded outward as she vanished beneath rubble.
But Adam didn't give him a second to breathe.
He shot upward, meeting Razan again in a rapid-fire exchange of blows. Their movements were so fast that the air around them broke into ripples, like reality itself was struggling to keep up.
Razan's lungs burned. Sweat dripped down his chin. His arms felt heavy.
But his mind remained sharp.
Come on… think… Dragon Force. Natsu only triggered it when pushed to the brink—when he consumed insane amounts of magical energy…
Razan flew higher, pushing above the battlefield. Shadows curled around him, darkness responding to his call.
If I can devour every drop of energy around me—sin, war, despair—maybe I can force myself into Dragon Force.
Adam blinked beside him, swinging a sword of pure condemnation. Razan blocked with both arms, the impact sending a seismic shockwave through the sky.
Razan stared directly into Adam's eyes.
If I use that state… I can land one single hit. One blow strong enough to injure him badly. That will buy me the time I need. But I'll collapse afterward… I'll have no energy left.
Which means… I need someone to pull me out.
His eyes instinctively fell toward the ground.
Where Loona stood.
Even from that distance, even through the dust and chaos, their eyes locked. For a heartbeat, everything stopped—no explosions, no roars, no divine fury.
Just the two of them.
She saw it in an instant.
This idiot is going to do something unbelievably stupid… and I'll be the one who has to save him.
She nodded once. Sharp. Certain.
Razan smiled.
She understood.
He could trust her completely.
He inhaled deeply, drawing in the raw essence of the Inferno. Darkness swirled around him like a storm, tightening, twisting, forming the outline of a monstrous dragon. The sky turned black. Winds howled violently, whipping the ground with gale-force pressure.
Exorcists were flung away like paper.
Adam shielded his face with his arm.
"You little SHIT! What do you think you're doing?! Just DIE already!"
But Razan only laughed inside the growing vortex of power.
"Sorry, but I can't die now. There's someone down there that I really care about… and I'm not about to leave her alone in this shitty world."
The aura engulfed him fully, forming horns, wings, scales, and the silhouette of Acnologia's lineage.
"So come on, my dear ancestor! Here comes a final respectful punch from your descendant!"
He pulled his arm back.
"BLACK DRAGON KING'S DARK LOTUS!!!"
The attack detonated outward, a spiraling blast of dark lotus petals infused with destructive energy.
Adam roared and conjured a gigantic radiant cross of light, swinging it down with righteous fury.
The two techniques collided.
The explosion shook all of Hell.
Cracks spread across the sky, light and darkness swirling violently. The shockwave flattened mountains, shattered buildings, and blew away thousands of Exorcists.
The entire kingdom watched as if witnessing the end of days.
Razan screamed, pushing everything he had into the blow. His muscles tore. His bones creaked. His vision blurred.
With a final, furious cry—
He shattered the cross.
His fist slammed directly into Adam's face.
The Archangel was launched downward like a meteor, crashing into the ground with terrifying force. A crater larger than several city blocks erupted from the impact.
Razan dropped.
His Dragon Force vanished instantly. His aura flickered out. His skin returned to normal.
His energy was gone.
Every drop.
As he fell freely through the air, he let out a weak laugh.
"Hope Loona got the message… or I'm gonna be the first dragon to die from fall damage…"
A portal ripped open beneath him.
Loona reached through, grabbed his shirt, and yanked him inside.
"DON'T EXPECT ME TO SAVE YOU, YOU IDIOT!" she shouted, voice trembling with adrenaline.
Razan smiled, eyes half-closed, utterly drained.
"Thanks… partner. Right on time… as always."
The portal snapped shut.
Silence spread across the battlefield like a blanket.
Everyone stared.
A demon whispered:
"Did… did he win?"
Another replied:
"I… I don't know…"
Charlie turned slowly to her father.
"What happened at the end?"
Lucifer smiled faintly.
"The dragon boy knew he couldn't defeat Adam. So instead, he aimed to injure him severely enough to immobilize him. That gave him a window to escape."
Charlie's eyes widened.
"So he used a suicidal attack… trusting that girl to rescue him?"
"Yes," Lucifer said. "He placed his life entirely in her hands. The single dumbest thing anyone can do in Hell."
On the opposite side, Alastor burst into laughter.
"OH, WHAT A SPECTACLE! Pain, desperation, and a final twist! A splendid finale! I remember you clearly now, dragon boy…"
At the crater, Lute landed and found Adam crawling out, his right arm mangled beyond recognition.
"Congratulations, dragon boy… I will remember you," Adam muttered before commanding, "Call the troops. We're done for today."
Lute nodded and took flight.
Meanwhile, in the abandoned factory, Razan lay asleep in Loona's lap. She gently stroked his hair, staring at him with a mixture of irritation and confusion.
"Why do you trust me so much?" she whispered. "I can't even trust myself that much… you idiot