In the heart of the Mashriq Kingdom, within the confines of Izaak's majestic house, the first hues of dawn gently illuminated Udo's room. The delicate play of light painted the room with a softness that contrasted starkly with Udo's peaceful slumber. All was serene until the piercing sound of a horn violently shattered the morning tranquillity.
Eyes wide with alarm, Udo shot up, heart racing, "What the hell? What was that?" Panic flooded his senses as he tried to make sense of the sudden intrusion. But as his gaze darted around, it finally settled on a familiar face. Izaak. The man's smirk was almost more unsettling than the abrupt wake-up call, especially given the bucket of water he held.
"I-Izaak?" Udo questioned, the disbelief evident in his voice.
In response, Izaak simply greeted, "Hi." And without another word, he upended the bucket, sending a torrent of icy water crashing onto Udo.
The chill pierced Udo, making him leap out of his bed, his clothes clinging uncomfortably to his skin, "Are you kidding!?"
The smirk never left Izaak's face as he chided, "It's 8 a.m., Udo. You were supposed to be up by 7."
"8?" Confused, Udo glanced at the alarm clock perched on his shelf. The numbers glowed in a clear contradiction to Izaak's words: 7:00. Udo's confusion morphed into indignation, "It's 7!"
Izaak's smirk deepened, "I know."
That was the last straw for Udo. "Izaak!" he yelled, charging at the man with all his might.
But Izaak was prepared. With a snap of his fingers, a portal – swirling with smoky white hues – appeared, beckoning with its unknown depths. As Udo lunged forward, intending to tackle his tormentor, Izaak easily sidestepped, leaving Udo to be consumed by the mysterious vortex.
As Udo's bewildered exclamation of "Huh?" echoed, he disappeared entirely, leaving the room empty save for Izaak. Shaking his head with amusement, Izaak took a breath, sighed, and stepped into the portal.
On the other side, the portal's shimmering gateway opened, and with an abrupt whoosh, Udo tumbled out, landing face-first onto a rocky expanse of grass. He grumbled while rubbing his forehead.
"Ow!"
As Udo scrambled to his feet, he surveyed his surroundings with a mix of astonishment and bewilderment.
"What the-" he began, his voice trailing off as he realized he had no clue where he was. "Where the hell am I?"
Just then, Izaak emerged from the portal, wearing a serene expression.
"We're doing a little sightseeing today, welcome to Quiraing," he said casually.
Udo's eyes widened as he took in the breathtaking beauty of the landscape. Sunlight painted the cliffs and grass, and the sheer magnificence of it all overwhelmed him. Stunning vistas stretched in every direction, captivating him to his core.
"Insane," Udo muttered, scarcely able to believe his eyes.
Izaak couldn't help but smile. "I know. This is my go-to place whenever I want to meditate."
Udo raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Is...that what we're going to do today, then?"
Izaak's smirk hinted at a different agenda. "No," he replied cryptically, "the opposite, actually."
Udo's brows furrowed in confusion. "Huh...?"
Without warning, Izaak extended his palm and placed it gently on Udo's forehead.
Within Udo's mind, birds sang and a gentle breeze stirred the vibrant foliage that surrounded a sparkling river. Fruit trees stood tall, laden with their radiant, tempting fruits.
Izaak moved purposefully among the plants, occasionally touching the shimmering petals with reverence.
Then, a sudden and malevolent HISS pierced the serenity. In the shadows, the FIEND emerged, an immense serpent with scales of menacing black and purple, coiled around a tree. Its gaze was cold and piercing as it fixed on Izaak.
Unfazed, Izaak smirked, his gaze unwavering as it met the Fiend's.
"There you are," Izaak said.
The Fiend chuckled. "Isn't it the successor himself?"
Izaak smiled. "Ooo, The Fiend itself knows me? I'm flattered."
The Fiend's eyes narrowed. "Tell me, Izaak. Are you even sure you'll be able to take over the responsibility of replacing Joseph Abrams?"
Izaak's smile grew. "It's cute you're concerned about my credentials. No need to worry, though, I'll be fine."
The Fiend's tone turned more serious. "Your misplaced confidence is amusing. But will you be able to back it up when Fiendity inevitably takes over the world?"
Izaak chuckled. "We all know what happened the last time you tried that. Your precious Iche clan got spanked and sealed. Face it, when it comes down to which power is fundamentally superior, it's Dovanity."
The Fiend countered, "Is that so? Then why hasn't the Dove Army managed to defeat the beast of Nether in over 50 years? Why did it take every empire in the world to take down the Iche Clan? Why are more and more people beginning to turn to me for power?"
Izaak remained silent.
"One day your naive mindset will change," the Fiend continued, "and you will realize there is no point in fighting for a God that abandoned you. And when you do, Abaddon welcome you with open arms."
Izaak stared into the serpent's eyes. "Before I put you down and lock you up, I'd like to know something. What dream did you sell to your people? What lie have you fed them to convince them to follow you?"
The Fiend smiled sinisterly. "We've told them nothing but the truth, Izaak."
He undulated ominously as he spoke, his voice dripping with conviction.
"Abaddon is going to create a world where everyone can live with freedom," he declared, his words heavy with intent. "His plan is for humans and fiends to coexist and live in a world where everyone can live to their full potential without having to adhere to the rigid rules of God and Dovanity. "
The Fiend's voice slithered into Izaak's ears, a tone of quiet triumph beneath its hissing menace.
"Humans are already on the brink, Izaak. Left behind after the Rapture, abandoned by their God. They felt betrayed, cast aside while heaven filled with the chosen. Those forsaken souls? They look to Abaddon now. He's their salvation, their path to freedom."
Izaak's eyes narrowed as he listened, but the Fiend pressed on.
"God's plan?" The Fiend chuckled darkly. "God intends to send Abaddon and his devils to hell, you see. But for the gates of hell to open, for the final seal to break, Abaddon must die. And who, pray tell, could have stood a chance against him? Joseph Abrams. the Saviour himself. But instead of facing Abaddon like a true warrior, Abrams chose the coward's path."
Izaak's eyes darkened, but he said nothing.
"Oh, don't play the stoic fool with me," the Fiend mocked. "You know it's true. Abrams had the power to strike down Abaddon, yet what did he do with it? He sacrificed his own Dove to shield the remaining continents, covering them in those pathetic 'Dove Bubbles'—a temporary solution, and you know it. All he did was delay the inevitable."
At that, Izaak's gaze sharpened, and his voice dropped, ice-cold. "Don't speak Joseph Abrams' name as if you know him.
The Fiend's laughter grew darker, more twisted. "Oh, how touching. The loyal successor, still clinging to hope. But the truth is clear. There's no one left to kill Abaddon, no one strong enough to stop him. And before you know it, Joseph Abrams will die, and when he does, those precious bubbles he left behind will burst. With no one to restore them, Abaddon will take over the world. His plan—this world, ruled under Fiend vibration—will finally come to life. Why fight it, Izaak? You might as well give in now, spare yourself the inevitable."
Izaak's cold expression suddenly shifted, his lips curling into a quiet chuckle. The Fiend blinked in surprise as Izaak straightened his posture, his voice calm yet powerful. "Hebrews 13:5: 'Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.'"
The Fiend's eyes narrowed as Izaak continued.
"God didn't forsake His people," Izaak said, his tone sharp. "His people forsook Him. But even now, He's trying to bring us back, to redeem those who turned away. That's what you can't understand. You prey on the lost and the bitter, twisting their pain into something that serves your twisted agenda. But God's never abandoned us. He never will."
The Fiend recoiled slightly, his gaze flickering with uncertainty, but only for a moment. "Pretty words, successor," he hissed. "But words won't protect you when the Dove Army falls. Abaddon is here to stay. Joseph couldn't even do it, and you're no Abrams."
Izaak's smirk returned, more confident than before. "You're right. I'm not Joseph Abrams. I'm Izaak. And I'll be the one to kill Abaddon."
"Oh. So what if I decide to eliminate you from the equation right now?" he hissed.
Izaak's lips curled into a smug smirk. "I mean, you could try," he replied, a glint of intensity in his eyes. "At your own risk."
The Fiend narrowed his gaze at Izaak. "You dare challenge me? I would obliterate you from this land that God created, whether I use this vessel or another."
Izaak's confidence remained unshaken. "Oh, really? How about we put that to the test?"
Back to the Quiraing, Izaak removed his hand from Udo's head, turned his back, and started to walk away.
Udo, perplexed and slightly alarmed, stammered, "Uh, everything okay? What the hell were you doing with my head?"
Izaak smirked and replied, "Release him."
Udo stared, baffled. "Huh?"
Izaak paused and began stretching nonchalantly. "Release the Fiend. You can switch with him, right?"
Udo struggled to grasp the situation. "I-I don't understand."
Izaak's golden pupils glimmered as he locked eyes with Udo. "Dead serious."
Slow realization dawned on Udo, who blinked in disbelief.
"He's being serious," Udo muttered to himself before closing his eyes. "I guess we're doing this."
Meanwhile, Izaak continued to stretch casually, humming a tune with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, a maniacal version of Udo, with scaly skin and snake-like eyes, materialized above Izaak, causing a colossal explosion upon impact.
As the dust settled, Izaak was revealed to have evaded the attack and stood a few feet away, unharmed.
Without missing a beat, Fiend Udo immediately lunged at Izaak, launching a relentless barrage of strikes. However, Izaak moved with graceful agility, effortlessly dodging each attack with nonchalance.
"You gotta be faster than that if you wanna land a hit on me," Izaak taunted.
Then in a lightning-fast sequence, Izaak retaliated with four strikes that left Fiend Udo bewildered.
"What the… What just happened?" Fiend Udo muttered, disoriented.
Then, Izaak raised his palm, and Fiend Udo was propelled across the grassy plains as if some invisible force of gravity had forcefully repelled him. He crashed onto the ground, breathless and bewildered. Despite the disorientation, a smirk slowly crept onto his face.
"Not bad for a fraud," Fiend Udo conceded.
Fiend Udo surged to his feet and charged at Izaak with blistering speed and leapt into the air, aiming for a crushing stomp, but Izaak hopped out of the way with remarkable agility.
As Fiend Udo touched down, he wasted no time and launched himself at Izaak. The ensuing clash was a mesmerizing display of fluid, lightning-fast hand-to-hand combat. In this fierce exchange, Izaak's prowess became evident as he skillfully manoeuvred, eventually seizing the upper hand. With a brutal, sweeping kick to the face, he sent Fiend Udo soaring through the air.
As Fiend Udo zipped through the air, Izaak aimed his palm at him once more, but this time, he clenched it shut. Suddenly, Fiend Udo zoomed back toward Izaak, as if an irresistible gravitational force had seized him.
Izaak met Fiend Udo with a bone-shattering left hook to his jaw, sending him hurtling through the air once more.
Izaak flexed his fingers, the sound of cracking knuckles resonating in the charged atmosphere. His voice was cold, his words carrying the weight of unwavering resolve.
"Romans 8:31: 'If God is for us, who can be against us?'".