In Duadel, the fallen angel generals watched the projection in stunned disbelief. Samael—against every expectation—was winning.

  Azazel strode into the room, confident as ever.

  “Is Samael dead yet?”

  He was met with silence. The generals exchanged nervous glances. Azazel’s irritation sharpened.

  “Well?”

  “Unfortunately...my Lord,” Dagon said carefully, “Adamas is losing.”

  Azazel blinked, baffled. “What? How?” He leaned closer to the projection and froze when he saw Adamas trapped inside Samael’s Territory.

  “Tch. I thought he could win without support.” He extended his hand. Purple energy from the Power Stone bled into Adamas. “But clearly he needs this.”

  “With this boost, he should win,” Dagon tried to reassure him.

  “Let’s hope so.” Azazel sat down, pretending calm. Inwardly, fear coiled tight.

  If Adamas falls, I’m going to be Samael’s next target.

  He remembered Adriel when they first met. He was a trembling, furious, weakling, desperate for power. Rage alone meant nothing, so Azazel weaponised it for his cause.

  He gave him a copy of his soul so he could survive a fusion with the Adaptation Stone. And so he could become Adamas—the Ultimate weapon.

  In Heaven, the atmosphere was the opposite. Uriel and the archangels leaned forward, barely containing their excitement. When cracks formed on the outer shell of Samael’s Territory, Uriel assumed the fight was over.

  He was wrong.

  Azazel’s infusion had changed the momentum.

  Samael was sent flying, his soul bruised and his right hand mangled. The archangels stared in horror: Samael, overpowered inside his own Territory?

  He grunted as pain shot through his soul. For a moment, Samael’s vision dimmed. Then he hit his chest with his hand, sharpening his vision.

  Damn it, he created more futures, he thought, healing his injured arm.

  Adamas gave him no room. A blow twisted Samael’s soul; blood spilt from his mouth. An uppercut rolled his eyes back.

  Adamas went for the finishing Divine Flash, but Samael barely blocked and was hurled back again.

  Duadel erupted in cheers. Heaven fell silent.

  “That was close,” Adamas said. “One more hit and you’re finished. Any last words?”

  Samael, half-conscious, smiled through the blood. “I should be asking you that.”

  Adamas hesitated, then grinned. “You really are cool. It’s a shame you had to murder my son.” He launched in.

  Samael didn’t blink or breathe; he stayed motionless, glaring at Adamas.

  “Samael, MOVE!” the archangels shouted at the projection.

  Adamas’s fist was inches away from Samael’s face.

  “Wrong choice,” Samael muttered.

  The Adaptation Stone realised the trap a second too late. Adamas vanished in an instant.

  He reappeared in a blank, silent void.

  “Not this again.” Adamas scoffed.

  Until the Stone panicked, then the pain hit.

  The sure-hit effect of Samael’s Territory was simple: Numbers: Amplification and Multiplication. Every strike Samael landed, especially the barrage of Divine Flashes, multiplied at once. The accumulated damage hammered Adamas’s spirit. Blood burst from every pore of his soul.

  His mind reeled, and for the first time in the fight, he felt genuine fear and thought he was going to lose.

  The Stone scrambled to adapt. Only then did she understand the setup: the Heavenly Pact Samael placed with his first blow had bound her adaptation within Samael’s Territory. Her greatest strength had been turned off.

  At last, she forced an adaptation, shattering Samael’s Territory. Adamas stumbled, struggling to stay upright. Unfortunately for him, he stumbled toward Samael, standing behind him.

  His eyes widened, and he swung on instinct, but Samael was faster. A Divine Flash struck his spine, throwing him forward.

  Adamas couldn’t move. He lost all feelings from the point of impact downwards. He was crippled and momentarily defenceless.

  That damaged me? Am I weaker?

  << Yes. His Territory is suppressing you. Adaptation will kick in soon.>>

  Samael didn’t wait. I need something strong enough to kill him in one shot. He moved to set up another opening.

  Adamas fired beams of dark light to deter Samael’s advance. But before the beam reached Samael, he vanished yet again.

  Samael opened another Divine Territory.

  “Again?” Adamas muttered.

  This time, gravity collapsed from every direction. Adamas’s bones cracked under the force. His eyes flashed red, and with a roar, he broke free, only to find Samael gone.

  Samael reappeared behind him.

  Infinity Jab X Divine Flash obliterated the top half of Adamas’s soul.

  The world seemed to pause, and even Adamas couldn’t believe his eyes. His head drifted in space, eyes widened, glaring at his lower half.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  In Duadel, the generals froze. Even Azazel stared in disbelief. With both Stones empowering him, Adamas still couldn’t keep up.

  Blood gushed from Adamas’s mouth, and his shock quickly turned to rage. He unfurled his blackened wings. His halo blackened, spike protruding from it.

  A shockwave burst outward, forcing Samael back.

  “Time for round two.”

  Samael immediately cast Transcendence. His power rose in luminous waves. He beckoned mockingly.

  The Stone warned:

  << Careful. You have sixty per cent of your spirit left. >>

  What about his?

  << Ninety-five >> she replied, shocked.

  Adamas’s brows jerked upwards. He understood instantly.

  Samael was deliberately fighting at a disadvantage. He reflected most of the damage to his soul, protecting his spirit.

  << You figured it out, too? I’m impressed. He probably saw no other way to beat you. You can’t charge recklessly. >>

  Agreed. Adamas shifted his strategy.

  Samael cursed inwardly. He figured it out. He darted in, attacks blurring. Adamas resorted to blocking. A futile attempt against someone on Samael’s level. A blow to the gut staggered him, followed by an elbow to the face and a kick to his neck, launching him.

  Adamas countered with his wings; Samael deflected and created a brief moment of separation.

  If he’s using his soul as a shield to protect his spirit, then I just have to break it till there is nothing left. Adamas thought, eyes flashing red as his mana evolved to Tier Three.

  The shift was immediate; he blitzed forward, carving a deep wound into Samael’s side.

  Blood poured as he instinctively favoured it.

  Did he…hit me? Samael stared at the blood running down his ribs, then he swiftly glanced at Adamas.

  Adamas tossed aside the chunk he ripped out of Samael’s side with a grin on his face, and he lunged again.

  Samael’s left hand flew off in a single attack.

  Again? Samael thought, stunned. Such incredible speed. This fight is going as it did before. If I don’t do something…I’ll die. He grabbed his stump, grunting in pain.

  “This time, I’ll aim for your head.” Adamas declared, flicking the golden blood from his wrist.

  Samael narrowed his gaze. He erased the future I created.

  Adamas lunged for the heart, expecting Samael to defend his head. Instead of defending, Samael attacked, striking his sternum.

  Adamas coughed blood with a stunned expression. “How—?”

  “I hit where you were going to be. It’s basic martial arts,” Samael said, regrowing his hand, and missing side in a golden glow. He nailed a superman punch to his nose and threw a hook, but Adamas countered.

  Samael parried with his left hand and pulled him in.

  Expecting a cross to the sternum, Adamas blocked it, but Samael chose a different location to attack. He hammered two heavy hooks: one to the midsection and one to the jaw, rocking Adamas.

  Adamas retaliated with anger, but Samael, still grabbing his hand, flipped him over his head and summoned spikes, forcing distance.

  He’s using more of his powers; at this rate, we’ll win. Adamas declared to the Adaptation Stone.

  << Still be careful. He has something planned. >>

  Master has started using his telekinesis. Uriel realised from Heaven. I wonder if he’ll use telepathy, too.

  Just as Adamas’s mana had evolved to Tier Three, Samael’s abilities also ascended while he used his telekinesis.

  Adamas fired chaotic feathers, forcing Samael to focus on them. He slipped with the barrage and attacked from the flank.

  Samael dodged and threw Adamas aside.

  Adamas imbued his feathers with more chaos, and they attacked faster now, more intensely. As they streaked towards Samael, they froze in mid-air.

  “What just happened?” Adamas asked, but Samael gave no reply.

  “That’s the move I used against him!!” Uriel screamed proudly. “He refined it.”

  Samael closed in, jabs flickering faster than sight. Adamas’s mind blanked under Samael’s intense psychic pressure.

  All the attacks he landed on Samael from the beginning of the fight were amplified and used against him. His organs ruptured under the assault. Samael cut an angle the moment Adamas blocked and landed a brutal cross to his spine, sending him flying into a conjured spike.

  He screamed out in pain, and blood poured freely, but Samael continued the beating until gravitational energy burst outward, throwing him back.

  “How do you have Zeref’s miracle?” Samael questioned.

  “Lord Azazel was kind enough to gift me his soul,” Adamas grinned, pulling himself from the spike. “Now I have all the powers of the fallen angel generals.”

  I knew Azazel had gifted him his soul, but I didn’t think it would result in him having all the powers of the generals. Samael clicked his tongue. Of course, he healed everything. This is getting tedious.

  Adamas launched every miracle at once; Samael dodged, but the attacks curved, tracking him. Adamas transported himself ahead, jabbing. Samael caught it and threw him in the path of the attacks, but they phased through him.

  Adamas grinned, “You’ll have to do better than that.”

  Samael scowled. I can’t dodge forever.

  He ascended skyward.

  Exodus 1st and 10th Commandments: Light of The Lord X Punishment of Hate.

  In an instant, light erased all the miracles. Adamas stared in shock.

  Samael hit him with another psychic blast and closed in, breaking a rib before Adamas countered, sending him flying. Samael’s hand cracked under the force; he ignored it and conjured an Infinity Seal behind Adamas.

  A beam launched from the seal, pushing Adamas into a perfectly timed, devastating blow that flashed gold on impact.

  The punch destroyed Adamas’s heart, and he reeled from the impact.

  Samael faked a jab and landed an oblique kick, shattering Adamas’s knee. He landed a cross, then switched to southpaw as he retracted his hand, following up with a jab.

  Adamas deflected it and launched a counter.

  Samael stepped back and locked his elbow, faked a knee, then he wrenched Adamas’s right hand till it snapped.

  Adamas screamed out in pain, but a brutal elbow to the temple silenced him, followed by a side kick to his broken hand, resulting in a compound fracture. Samael finished up with a roundhouse kick, hurling him away, then he clasped his hands together and opened another Territory.

  Duadel descended into panic.

  “How is Samael doing this?” Azazel whispered.

  The other fallen angels shared the confusion. They expected the fight to be over a long time ago.

  Seems Azazel’s pet might actually lose, good. I get to kill Uriel and his master myself. Astaroth smirked.

  In Heaven, the angels leaned forward as the outer shell of Samael’s Territory crumbled, praying for a different result than the last. Their prayers were answered, and they erupted with cheers.

  Adamas coughed up blood, the top of his head was gone, and his chest was caved in.

  Just one more hit and your heart is gone, Samael thought.

  Damn that bastard…how did he pull that off? That sure hit was scary; my mind went blank. If not for the Adaptation Stone, I’d be dead. I see why they call him the strongest. Adamas struggled to heal.

  As Samael closed the distance to attack, Adamas’s eyes flashed red, and all his injuries healed in an instant.

  Azazel grinned. “He’s adapted to his fighting style. It’s over.”

  The fallen angel generals began celebrating Adamas’s imminent victory, but their triumph was short-lived. Samael suddenly shifted into a different stance.

  Michael’s eyes widened. “That’s my style. When did he master it?”

  Samael keeps adapting to Adamas’s adaptation; his power is…unachievable.

  Samael took the Philly shell stance. Adamas attacked, but Samael weaved and peppered him with three rapid flicker jabs.

  “Master perfected it,” Uriel whispered, awestruck.

  Michael couldn’t help but agree.

  Adamas staggered, blood dripping from his mouth. After that short exchange, he realised his attacks were useless and shifted to pure countering, waiting for the Stone to give him another adaptation.

  Samael didn’t give him time.

  He faked another jab and landed a roundhouse kick to the leg, toppling Adamas, then he struck at the heart with a piercing attack; Adamas barely caught it.

  “Close,” Adamas smirked. “But not—”

  The one-inch punch landed dead centre of the heart, obliterating it.

  Adamas’s soul shuddered. Blood burst from his mouth.

  Samael stepped in for the finishing head kick, but a white hole detonated point-blank, launching him.

  Samael blocked enough to survive, though damage raked through him.

  Using an evolved Perfect Guard wasn’t enough? He pondered with blurred vision. His arms were pulverised by the intense burst of energy.

  Adamas’s power had evolved beyond Samael’s defences. He cracked his neck and smirked. “Ready for round three?”

  Samael healed his hands and shifted his stance again. “Is that the best you’ve got? Don’t you want to avenge your son?”

  Adamas gritted his teeth, boiling in anger, and the fight between the two titans continued.

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