Adam descended through the hole, his white tunic fluttering in the wind.
The first thing he noticed was the oppressive heat. The air was thick and heavy, making breathing a bit annoying. Despite the discomfort, his focus remained sharp as he took in the strange mix of environments below.
The city sprawled out before him, a vast expanse of contrasting styles. Dusty streets, reminiscent of a wild west town, snaked between wooden buildings that seemed frozen in time. Yet, towering above these relics of the past were modern skyscrapers, their glass facades reflecting the hellish light.
In the distance, a massive mansion caught Adam's attention. It was a stark contrast to its surroundings, its sleek, modern design standing out against the rustic backdrop. Perched atop the mansion was a colossal statue of a dumbbell wearing a cowboy hat, a bizarre and whimsical sight in the middle of the inferno.
Huh.
Adam took it all in stride. "Wild West meets the modern City with a cowboy dumbbell. Hell really is something," he thought, scratching his chin lightly.
It was the volcanoes on the horizon that truly captured Adam's gaze. Far larger than their kin on Earth, the towering mountains of fire and molten rock dominated the landscape, their peaks glowing with an otherworldly light. Rivers of lava flowed down their slopes, carving through the barren terrain and painting it in shades of red and orange.
As he neared the ground, Adam's descent slowed, Gravity releasing her hold of him, and he landed gracefully. He scanned the surroundings, noting the mix of demons and damned souls in the streets. They eyed him warily, a blend of curiosity and fear in their expressions.
They were different from the inhabitants above. The demons of the first realm he landed in varied in form and design.
Their essence had a distinct feeling, their souls tinged with an almost human-like echo. For a moment, Adam thought of them as his children. Yet he felt nothing from them, no connection like he had felt when seeing Peter or the familiar bond he felt as he walked with Lute through Heaven.
So, it was clear that the creatures in the First Ring were not his. During his brief incarnation, Adam had known what his fallen descendants had felt like for the first time.
They were broken and rotten, yet even in Hell, their souls remained pure. Those in the city above were tainted with a filth that reached their souls, connecting to something vile.
A mockery of his children, he deduced.
The demons of this Ring, in comparison, were neither. They didn't feel like his children nor like the caricatures above.
They merely were.
He let them be, they were no enemies of his. He turned his gaze to look at the rising cloud of dust some kilometers away, the place where the Serpent fell. A singular step and he was at the mouth of the crater looking down at the Serpent's kneeling form.
The Serpent raised his head.
Adam noted that the Serpent's visage changed, crimson sclera surrounding yellow eyes looking at Adam, a dark hand over his mouth. A pair of large red horns emerged from his forehead with a flickering ball of hell flame levitating in between them. Numerous eyes appeared over the Serpent's attire.
The Serpent slowly removed his hand and spoke with a low resignation.
"This ends now, Adam. You're strong, probably stronger than anyone I've ever fought" His wings spread as he rose slowly from the crater, a frown on his face. " "I don't know what has happened to you, but I will not let you rampage unchecked."
Adam said nothing, simply tilting his head with a smirk.
Adam Lucifer's eyes narrowed, and with a powerful flap of his wings, he launched himself into the air, clasping his hands.
For the first since his fall, Samael spoke.
"I vow to shine as brightly as the first dawn, to cast light upon the darkness and reveal the splendor of creation," declared Lucifer, his form radiant like the morning star itself. "I shall reclaim my mantle as the Morning Star, bringing light and wisdom to those who dwell in shadows."
As Lucifer spoke, the scenery around them changed. The dull yellow sky of Hell was replaced with an ever-changing view of the cosmos, swirling galaxies, and distant stars.
Adam smiled. "Come."
As Lucifer raised his arms, two spheres formed—one radiated a brilliant, holy light, while the other crackled with intense, hellish flames. The contrasting energies danced around each other, creating an eerie yet mesmerizing display. With a swift thrust, he launched them at lightning speed, aimed directly at Adam.
The spheres hit their mark with a thunderous impact, exploding on contact. When the cloud of smoke and light subsided, it revealed Adam standing unharmed, surrounded by a thin sphere of ethereal light that shimmered with protective energy.
Lucifer's eyes narrowed as he realized the extent of Adam's power. "He copied that too?!" he thought, his expression twisting into a glare of frustration and disbelief.
With a fierce cry, Lucifer unleashed spells of power that shook Hell itself. Bolts of lightning crackled through the air, meteors streaked across the sky, and pillars of fire erupted from the ground. Each spell aimed at Adam with deadly accuracy, but the First Man moved with a grace that belied his size, dodging and weaving through the onslaught.
The destruction they wrought was catastrophic. Buildings crumbled, mountains shattered, and the very fabric of Hell seemed to quake in fear. The landscape changed with each strike, twisting and warping under the might of the King of Hell's magic.
With a growl, Lucifer conjured several black lightning bolts and launched them at Adam with a furious roar. The bolts crackled with dark energy, lashing out like vipers seeking their prey.
Adam, unfazed, raised his arm to bat away the first bolt with a casual swipe. He caught the second bolt with his other hand, gripping it tightly. With a grunt of effort, he hurled the bolt back at Lucifer, the dark energy trailing behind it like a comet's tail.
The bolt streaked through the air, closing the distance between them in an instant. Lucifer, with a snarl, raised a barrier of ethereal energy, deflecting the bolt. "Damn monster!" he cursed, preparing for Adam's next move.
As the barrier dissipated, Lucifer's vision was filled with the sight of Adam's fist hurtling towards him. In a split-second decision, Lucifer opened a small portal in front of the fist and another next to Adam's head. The result was Adam's fist disappearing into the portal, only to reappear next to his head, ready to punch himself.
Adam, caught by surprise, reacted swiftly. He brought his other hand up t, halting its momentum just inches from his face. Despite the unexpected turn of events, Adam's expression remained calm and focused.
"Even a damn monkey can see the pattern!" Lucifer yelled, taking advantage of the momentary confusion to create some distance between them. "Repel!"
Magnetism Magic flared, affecting both of them and launching them in opposite directions. The force of the spell sent Lucifer hurtling backward, crashing through a row of dilapidated buildings that exploded into debris upon impact. Adam was similarly thrown, his form a blur as he smashed into a distant cliffside, the rock face shattering around him.
All to avoid being in close combat distance with the First Man.
Lucifer was the first to recover, his wings beating furiously as he hovered above the wreckage.
"Let's see you punch this, fucker," Lucifer muttered. He extended his hands in front of him, forming a vaguely diamond-shaped "tunnel" by keeping the fingers on each hand together, overlapping the index finger on one hand with the pinky of the other, and overlapping the thumbs.
A gray Magic Circle materialized in front of his palms. It flared, and a beam of light was fired from it, streaking through the air, aimed directly at Adam.
Adam pushed himself from the cliffside debris, his eyes locking onto the incoming beam. He moved with incredible speed, leaping out of the way just in time.
The beam struck the cliff, and instantly detonated into a kilometer-wide sphere, deleting everything inside it. The landscape was obliterated in an instant, leaving behind a massive crater that glowed with residual energy.
Adam landed a safe distance away, his gaze fixed on the destruction. He took it in stride, not letting the overwhelming display of power deter him. Still, he'd rather not get hit with that.
Lucifer, still hovering, recharged his spells, sending beam after beam of matter deletion. Each beam cut through the air with deadly precision, aimed to disintegrate anything in its path.
Adam dodged the first beam with a swift leap, the second with a roll, and threw a rock at the third before it got close. His movements were fluid, each dodge slowly but surely closing the distance between the two. The landscape around them was in constant flux, beams carving through rock and soil, leaving nothing but voids in their wake.
Lucifer's frustration grew with each miss. "Stand still, damn it!" he snarled, pouring more energy into his next attack. He conjured a series of smaller, rapid-fire beams, hoping to overwhelm Adam with sheer volume.
The standoff continued for what felt like an eternity. Lucifer conjured more spells, trying to hide his beams using illusions and misdirection, but to no avail. Adam's keen instincts and unrelenting determination saw him through every trick. With each step, he closed the gap.
Thirty kilometers.
Twenty-six kilometers.
Nineteen kilometers.
Eighteen kilometers.
Lucifer's frustration mounted with each passing moment. "Why won't you just fall?" he shouted, pouring even more energy into his attacks. He conjured storms of fire and ice, torrents of lightning, and waves of dark energy, but Adam moved with supernatural grace, dodging, deflecting, and pushing forward.
Sixteen kilometers.
Fourteen kilometers.
Lucifer's eyes widened as he realized how futile his efforts were becoming. "Stay away, damn it!" he bellowed, his voice tinged with desperation. He summoned a massive vortex of destructive energy, hoping to engulf Adam.
Twelve kilometers.
Ten kilometers.
Adam pushed through the vortex, his body straining against the force but never slowing. His focus remained unbroken, his eyes locked onto Lucifer. The ground trembled with each step, the landscape around them a chaotic storm of raw power.
Eight kilometers.
Six kilometers.
Panic grew inside Lucifer. He almost took a step back before he stopped. He was the Fucking Morningstar. He was not going to panic against a mere human.
He took a deep breath and unleashed his beams again. This time, he broke each beam into ten, and each of those ten into ten more. Before they could even travel less than a meter, they disappeared.
Thousands of small portals surrounded Adam, and from them, the beams reappeared. Each one that missed simply entered and exited from another portal. Adam was trapped, and with each dodge, the portals kept getting closer.
Adam's movements were relentless, his focus unwavering. He dodged left and right, each evasion becoming tighter as the portals closed in. The beams created a labyrinth of deadly energy around him, but he navigated it with precision, his instincts guiding him.
Then, Adam was hit in the back.
Time slowed, each second feeling like an eternity.
Lucifer saw Adam's face as the transparent sphere began growing, swallowing his body.
Elation started spreading through Lucifer's whole being. 'Finally,' he thought, his voice filled with a mix of relief and triumph.
Yet, as the sphere reached its maximum volume, Adam smiled.
The scene unfolded in a split second, yet each moment stretched out like an eternity. Lucifer watched in horror as Adam's smile grew, defying the inevitable. The sphere reached its maximum volume, enveloping Adam's body, but his smile remained.
It shouldn't have been possible.
The duration of the spell was almost instantaneous. From the moment the attack hit to its collapse lasted no more than a fraction of a nanosecond. The distance between them was several miles, and sound could never reach Lucifer at that time.
Yet, Adam spoke.
And Lucifer heard him.
"Repel."
The force of the repulsion sent shockwaves through the air, the fabric of the surrounding space rippling from the intensity. Lucifer's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw it. In an instant, the sphere of destructive energy was blasted into the distance as Adam was launched forward.
Adam's fist struck.
Two inches.
Terror flared through Lucifer's being. Still, through instinct or luck, he managed to open a portal in front of his face, and a second next to Adam's face. Mere millimeters away, Adam should have had no time to block. Lucifer attempted to separate them again, but before he could, his jaw shattered as Adam's fist crashed into his face from the side.
From a third portal.
"Even a monkey can see a pattern," Adam told reminded him with a manic grin.
The impact was cataclysmic. Lucifer felt as though his entire being was being torn asunder. Adam's blow shattered his defenses, sending him hurtling backward with unimaginable force. The ground trembled beneath them, cracks spreading like spiderwebs from the point of impact.
Lucifer crashed into a nearby mountain, the collision doing little to stop his momentum. Summoning whatever focus he had left, he opened a portal and corrected his direction, launching himself into the sky.
Where was Adam?!
Barely able to halt himself in the air, Lucifer tried to cast a defensive spell, but all that came out was a cacophony of gurgled groans. His jaws hadn't finished healing.
He attempted to teleport away, but pain exploded in his body as he felt something smash into him. Fear filled his core as he felt a pair of strong hands clasp onto the back of his neck and upper right wing.
"You know, from the moment I saw, something bothered me." Adam's voice came from behind him. Lucifer felt Adam's feet settle on his smaller back. "Six is a bit much, don't you think?"
Lucifer's heart sank as Adam's grip tightened.
"AAAAGH!" Lucifer released a primal scream, his voice filled with rage and desperation. He knew what was coming next. He started struggling harder, using whatever strength he could muster to try and get Adam away from him. He unleashed spell after spell, uncaring of the destruction he caused. Rocks and debris flew around them, but Adam's hold remained firm.
Lucifer's eyes darted around frantically, searching for any way out. But Adam's grip was like a vice, unyielding and relentless. He felt a surge of fear and desperation, unlike anything he had ever experienced.
No...
Please!
no!no!no!no!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!
"Repel."
As Adam's command rang out, a powerful force erupted from him, sending Lucifer hurtling away. With a sickening snap, one of Lucifer's wings was torn from his back, leaving him screaming in agony as he crashed to the ground below.
Lucifer's hand trembled as he reached behind him, feeling the absence where his wing once stood. He could hardly comprehend the loss, the searing pain of it radiating through his entire being. Tears welled up in his eyes, a mixture of physical agony and deep emotional anguish.
"No... no..." he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sounds of destruction around him. His mind raced with disbelief and despair.
As Lucifer lay there, his hand still trembling, his mind descended into a dark abyss. The loss of his wing echoed through his being, a constant reminder of his defeat.
"I'M GONNA KILL HIM! I'M GONNA RIP HIM APART! MAKE HIM SUFFER!!!"
The words echoed in his mind, a mantra of rage and hatred that consumed his thoughts. Each syllable dripped with venom, each repetition driving him further into madness. The pain, both physical and emotional, fueled his fury, twisting his features into a grotesque mask of hatred.
"I'LL DESTROY HIM! I'LL TEAR HIM APART! MAKE HIM REGRET EVER CROSSING ME!!!"
The words echoed through his being, a promise of vengeance that burned like a flame in the darkness of his mind. His eyes glowed with a manic light, his body trembling with unrestrained fury.
Lucifer's eyes locked onto Adam as he landed, burning with a fierce intensity. He could feel the hatred boiling inside him, a seething cauldron of fury and despair. The innocent smile Adam offered only fueled the flames, stoking the fires of his rage.
With a snarl, Lucifer pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the pain that shot through his body. He staggered towards Adam, his movements filled with primal ferocity.
"You think... this changes anything?" Lucifer spat, his voice laced with venom. He pointed a trembling finger at Adam, his gaze filled with a murderous intent. "I'll destroy you. I'll tear you apart, piece by piece. I'll make you suffer for eternity!"
Adam's smile didn't waver as he watched Lucifer approach. He remained calm, his demeanor almost serene in contrast to Lucifer's rage.
"I'll FUCKING KILL YOU!!" Lucifer screamed, his voice echoing through the desolate landscape.
"Make that 'We will fucking kill you,'" a voice stated from above.
Flying above the two was a giant of a man, his presence commanding and intimidating. He had four yellow eyes, devoid of pupils, set in a face with red skin, bulging muscles, and streaks of golden lava running across his body. He was dressed in a dark mixture of a cowboy outfit and armor, his draconic features accentuated by a pair of massive dragon wings.
"Satan..." Lucifer muttered, a mix of relief and apprehension in his voice, as the new arrival landed next to him.
"Your Majesty," Satan replied, his expression dark and menacing as he glared at the First Man. "It's been a while, First Man."
Adam regarded Satan with a curious expression, unfazed by his intimidating presence. "And you are?"
"The fool is a role that always seemed to fit you, yet now is not the time for it," the ruler of the second ring growled. His eyes burned with a fierce intensity as he stepped forward, his towering figure casting a long shadow over the battlefield. "You know who I am."
"Do I?" Adam wondered, genuinely confused. "Well, it matters not. Whoever you might be, I do not quarrel with you."
"You say that as you wreak havoc in my kingdom?!" Satan's voice thundered, echoing through the desolate landscape.
"Don't blame me, he's the one who kept running away," Adam shrugged, nodding his head in Lucifer's direction. His tone was casual, almost nonchalant, further enraging both demons.
"So be it, First Man," Satan's voice boomed, shaking the very ground they stood upon. "If you claim to have forgotten who I am, then let me remind you!"
Satan's roar echoed across the desolate landscape, the very air around him shimmering with intense heat. As he spoke, his form was consumed by hellfire, the flames swirling around him in a fierce inferno. With each passing moment, he grew larger and more imposing, his body transforming into that of a great black dragon.
His scales gleamed with a dark luster, reflecting the flickering flames that enveloped him. His eyes, now glowing with a malevolent light, locked onto Adam with unbridled fury. The ground beneath him trembled, unable to withstand the sheer force of his wrath.
"I AM THE WRATH OF HELL!"
Adam nodded.
"Well met."