The night was silent.
Inside the ruined chapel, shadows twisted along the walls like living creatures.
Gabriel stood in the center of the room, breathing slowly. The darkness around him had grown thicker since he awakened his power.
Ten shadow spikes still floated around him like silent guards.
He studied them carefully.
"So this is my power…"
He raised his hand slightly.
One of the spikes shot forward.
CRACK!
It pierced through a stone pillar like it was paper.
Gabriel's eyes widened slightly.
"That strong…?"
But before he could test it again—
Pain struck.
Harder than before.
Gabriel's body froze.
It felt like something had pierced straight through his stomach.
He collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.
"Alex… what are you fighting…?"
The pain kept coming.
A slash across the back.
A deep stab through the shoulder.
Burning across his chest.
Gabriel gritted his teeth as his entire body trembled.
This wasn't a normal fight.
Alex was being pushed to the brink of death.
And because of the curse…
Gabriel was dying with him.
But something strange happened.
Instead of weakening…
The shadows in the chapel exploded with power.
The darkness swallowed the entire room.
Shadow spikes multiplied.
Ten became twenty.
Twenty became fifty.
Gabriel slowly forced himself to stand.
Blood ran down his chin.
Yet his silver eyes glowed brighter than before.
"So this…"
"…is the price of power."
Meanwhile — Hell
The battlefield looked like the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Cracks split the ground.
Demon corpses covered the black earth.
And in the center of it all—
Alex and Beltran stood facing each other.
Both heavily injured.
Beltran's armor was broken in several places.
Alex's body was covered in deep wounds.
Beltran laughed loudly.
"You're tougher than I thought!"
Alex wiped blood from his eye.
"You're louder than I expected."
Beltran's grin widened.
"Let's end this."
His demonic energy erupted like a volcano.
The air itself trembled under the pressure.
Beltran lifted his massive axe.
"WAR DOMAIN."
The ground instantly turned red.
Flames burst from the cracks in the earth.
The battlefield transformed into Beltran's territory.
Inside this domain—
Beltran's strength doubled.
Alex felt the crushing pressure immediately.
"Damn…"
Beltran charged forward like a monster.
The axe swung down.
BOOM!
Alex barely blocked it with his sword.
The impact shattered the ground beneath his feet.
His ribs cracked instantly.
Beltran pushed harder.
"You can't win here!"
He kicked Alex across the battlefield.
Alex crashed into a rock wall.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
Beltran slowly walked toward him.
"You're strong…"
He lifted his axe again.
"But you're still a child."
The axe swung down.
Back on Earth
Gabriel screamed.
The pain was unbearable.
It felt like his chest had been crushed.
Like his bones had shattered.
He collapsed again.
But the shadows around him grew even more violent.
Dark tendrils burst from the ground.
Shadow spikes now filled the entire chapel.
Gabriel's breathing became heavy.
"Alex… don't die…"
Not because Gabriel cared about him.
But because if Alex died—
The curse would kill him too.
Gabriel slowly stood again.
His entire body shook.
But the shadows obeyed him now.
Completely.
"Good…"
He looked at the massive shadow spikes around him.
Then whispered coldly.
"If I must suffer your battles…"
"…then I'll master the pain."
Hell — Final Moment
Beltran's axe crashed down.
Alex rolled to the side just in time.
The ground exploded.
Alex jumped up and slashed forward.
His sword cut across Beltran's chest.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Beltran laughed again.
"Yes!"
He grabbed Alex by the throat and lifted him into the air.
"You're entertaining!"
Alex struggled, gasping for air.
Beltran raised his axe.
"Die well, little brother."
But Alex suddenly smiled.
A dangerous smile.
"You talk too much."
Beltran frowned.
"What?"
Alex raised his free hand.
Dark red energy gathered around it.
A forbidden power.
Something even the heirs feared.
Beltran's eyes widened.
"Wait… that's—"
Alex whispered one word.
"Wrath."
BOOM.
A massive explosion of demonic energy tore across the battlefield.
The ground shattered.
Flames shot into the sky.
And Beltran was sent flying hundreds of meters away.
Alex collapsed to one knee.
His body was barely holding together.
But his crimson eyes still burned with determination.
He looked toward the distant palace of Lucifer.
"Just wait…"
"I'm coming for that throne."
Back on Earth
Gabriel slowly opened his eyes.
The pain had finally stopped.
The shadows around him slowly faded.
He leaned against the wall, exhausted.
"That idiot…"
He wiped the blood from his mouth.
"Trying to get himself killed already."
But deep inside…
Gabriel felt something else.
Alex's power.
The energy of Wrath.
And because of the curse…
A small part of that power had flowed into him.
Gabriel's eyes slowly darkened.
"Interesting…"
He looked down at his shadow.
Which was now moving on its own.
"Maybe this curse…"
"…isn't just a prison."
His voice became quiet.
Cold.
"It might be a weapon."
And one day…
That weapon would be pointed directly at Lucifer.