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Chapter 20: Zero Gravity Chaos
The battlefield stretched endlessly beneath the blood-red sky, a haunting canvas of destruction. Cracked earth and scorched debris littered the land, while the distant echo of crumbling rocks added to the eerie silence. The air was dense, heavy with the tension of lingering conflict and the faint tang of sulfur.
Luci soared above the battlefield, his chains clinking faintly as they trailed behind him. The wings from the severed limbs of a winged-hand demon, were a stark contrast to the elegance of natural flight. Each beat of the tattered wings sent up small gusts of ash and dirt, marking his presence as he closed in on his targets.
Below him stood the twins—Push and Pull—two infernal figures exuding an aura of cold, calculated malice. Their runic scars pulsated with dark energy, their crimson eyes gleaming with unshaken confidence. They stood still, almost mocking, as if Luci's efforts were beneath them..
With a sharp descent, Luci landed a short distance away, his wings falling to the ground like lifeless husks. Dust rose in small plumes around him as he straightened, his sharp gaze fixed on the twins.
"Where do you guys think you're going?" he said, his voice cutting through the charged air like a blade.
Pull sneered, clicking his tongue in irritation. "This guy is so annoying. Always buzzing around, thinking he's important."
Push gave a low chuckle but remained silent, watching Luci with calculating eyes.
"I'll get rid of him," Pull declared with a grin. His right hand rose, black energy flowing into his palm like liquid darkness. The air around him rippled as his power grew, crackling with ominous energy. "I'll show him what real power looks like."
With a forceful swing of his hand, the black energy surged outward, consuming the air around them. The ground shuddered beneath the weight of his power as he shouted, "Hell Technique: Zero Gravity!"
Suddenly, the battlefield shifted. Rocks, debris, and even the very earth began to rise, defying natural laws. Luci felt the pull instantly—an unnatural force dragging him upward. The wings he had discarded were caught in the field, floating aimlessly like weightless feathers. His chains, though heavy and cursed, swayed gently in the air as if carried by an invisible current.
For a brief moment, he struggled to stabilize himself, but even his footing betrayed him. He hung suspended, adrift in a void where gravity no longer existed.
In the quiet chaos, Luci's thoughts raced. They've gotten much stronger. They can even use Hell Techniques now. Techniques I can't access anymore because of these damned chains. His gaze flickered to the dark metal binding his hands, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. A reminder of his punishment and his limits.
But he had no time to dwell on his thoughts. Pull moved again, swinging his left hand toward Luci. The floating rocks, now infused with Pull's dark energy, suddenly became deadly projectiles. They shot toward Luci with alarming speed, each one sharp and lethal.
Luci acted on instinct. The first rock came at him head-on, and with a flick of his wrist, he lashed out with his chains, shattering it into fragments. Another rock approached from his right, and he twisted his body to deliver a powerful kick, sending it spiraling away. A third came from above, and he punched it with all his might, the impact sending cracks through its core before it burst into dust.
Pull grinned maliciously, his red eyes narrowing. "Not bad, Luci," he mocked, "but this is just the beginning."
He raised both hands, and the shattered fragments of rock, still suspended in the zero-gravity field, stopped mid-motion. They hung there for a moment before trembling, gathering together like iron shavings to a magnet. Other floating debris joined the mass, the fragments coalescing into a monstrous boulder that loomed ominously in the air.
Push stepped forward, his voice cold and sharp. "Do it, brother. End him."
Pull smirked, bringing his hands together in a loud clap. The massive boulder, now pulsating with dark energy, began to descend. "Now you'll know your place, Luci," he taunted. "You're just a demon. We are real devils. Hell Technique: Titan's Wrath!"
The colossal rock moved with terrifying speed, its descent warping the air around it. The battlefield darkened under its shadow, the sheer weight of its presence bending the very fabric of space.
Push crossed his arms, smirking. "That's an area attack, Luci. You can't dodge it."
But Luci, suspended in the air, only smiled. "Who said anything about dodging?" he retorted.
Twisting his body mid-air, Luci coiled his legs tightly, his chains glowing faintly as they absorbed the momentum of his movement. With a thunderous roar, he kicked the boulder with all his might. The impact was deafening, a shockwave rippling outward and shattering the air like glass.
The boulder cracked, its dark energy flickering erratically. With a final, defiant push, Luci sent the massive rock flying backward—straight toward Pull.
Pull's smirk faltered, his eyes widening in disbelief. He barely had time to react before his own creation slammed into him, driving him into the ground with a resounding crash. Dust and debris exploded outward, obscuring the battlefield in a thick haze.
"Brother!" Push shouted, panic replacing his usual calm. He turned back to Luci, fury blazing in his red eyes.
"Hell Technique: Immense Strike!" Push roared, channeling his energy into a cylindrical weapon. The white cylinder, dense with gravity magic, pulsed violently as he hurled it toward Luci. The weapon moved with alarming precision, bending the air as it traveled.
Luci dodged, twisting his body with practiced ease. But the cylinder wasn't done. Push extended his hand, and the weapon adjusted its trajectory, curving toward Luci like a homing missile.
Push smirked, his confidence returning. "Look at how you run," he sneered. "Pathetic."
But before he could finish, Luci surged forward with blinding speed, closing the distance between them in an instant. He appeared directly in front of Push, his chains clinging in the air .
"How about tasting your own medicine?" Luci growled.
With a swift motion, he maneuvered upward, aligning himself with the gravitational cylinder. Using its momentum, he redirected it toward Push. The cylinder slammed into Push with devastating force, sending him hurtling into Pull, who was just beginning to recover. The impact sent both twins crashing to the ground, breaking the zero-gravity field.
The battlefield returned to normal, the debris falling like rain. Luci, still airborne, seized the moment. He grabbed the now-still boulder, lifting it effortlessly despite its massive size.
"Who wants seconds?" he called out mockingly before hurling the boulder toward the twins.
Push and Pull gasped in unison as the massive rock crashed into them, the ground caving in under the sheer force of the impact. The earth groaned, splitting further as the twins disappeared beneath the rubble.
As the dust settled, Luci landed gracefully atop the boulder. His crimson eyes scanned the debris until he spotted movement. With a smirk, he approached, brushing aside smaller rocks to reveal the battered forms of Push and Pull.
"There you are," he said coldly.
Grabbing their heads, he smashed them together with brutal force. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the ground. He did it again, and again, each collision accompanied by a sickening crack. Blood began to seep from their wounds, staining the ground beneath them.
As the twins groaned in pain, Luci leaned in close, his voice low and menacing. "I told you," he said, "I'm going to bully you weak twins."
Before he could deliver the final blow, the sound of horses and chariots echoed in the distance. Luci paused, his eyes narrowing as he turned toward the approaching noise.
"Are those the knights?" he muttered.
Before he could react, Push, with his last ounce of strength, raised a trembling hand. A small gravity cylinder formed, and with a desperate push, he sent Luci flying backward.
The faint rumble of hooves and clattering steel grew louder, reverberating through the battlefield like an approaching storm. The blood-red sky reflected on the polished armor of the advancing knights, their chariots gleaming ominously under Hell's dim light. Dust clouds trailed behind them, announcing their arrival long before their figures became visible.
Push and Pull, still battered and bloodied from Luci's relentless assault, stirred amidst the rubble. Their bodies twitched as their demonic regeneration worked overtime, black tendrils of energy knitting their wounds together. Their faces, smeared with blood and grime, contorted into expressions of fury and malice.
Pull groaned, using his trembling hands to push himself upright. "We… weren't supposed to meet them here," he muttered, his voice strained yet laced with venom.
Push, his own body quivering from the damage, clenched his fists tightly. "No," he growled, his red eyes flaring. "They've come right to us. Fine. This saves us the trouble."
As they stood, their dark energy coiled around them like an aura of wrath, their injuries fading rapidly. Their attention turned toward the horizon where the knights' banners swayed in the wind, their shining emblems stark against the grim backdrop of the battlefield.
Push smirked, his voice rising above the noise. "We were going to meet them anyway. But now they've made it easier."
Pull nodded, his grin matching his brother's malice. "Yes. Let's show them what true devils can do." He turned toward the horde of demons lurking in the shadows beyond. "winged-hand,Crawlers, Exploders… your time has come. Swarm them. Attack!"
The air trembled as the command echoed through the battlefield. From the edges of the ruined terrain, a tide of demons surged forth. Crawlers, grotesque beasts with long, sinewy limbs and razor-sharp claws, scuttled with horrifying speed. Their low, guttural growls merged into a deafening chorus. Behind them came the Exploders—hulking, bloated monstrosities whose bodies pulsed like unstable bombs, their every step shaking the ground beneath them.
The knights halted their march briefly as they took in the sight. The sheer number of demons was overwhelming. The Crawlers' silhouettes stretched across the battlefield like an endless shadow, their gleaming claws catching the dim light. The Exploders, towering over them, waddled forward, their movements grotesque yet deliberate, their swollen bodies pulsating ominously.
Among the knights, a figure stepped forward at the forefront of their ranks rode Brian, his polished armor catching the dim light. His face was set in a grim expression, his eyes sharp as they surveyed the oncoming tide of demons.
Without hesitation, Brian dismounted from his horse, his boots hitting the ground with a solid thud. He turned to his men, his voice cutting through the rising noise like a blade. "Knights! To arms!"
The command ignited a fire in the ranks. The knights, disciplined and battle-hardened, raised their swords, shields, and spears in unison. Their armor clinked and their banners snapped in the wind as they advanced.
"Attack!" Brian roared, unsheathing his sword.
The knights charged, their collective shout echoing across the battlefield like a thunderclap. The ground trembled beneath their synchronized footsteps, their war cries a rallying cry for courage amidst the rising tide of darkness.