Three months later, Lucian finally understood why Hell hated Solomon.
This old man is a fucking cheater.
Solomon cheated with the world itself, he easily manipuate reality. This guy can even twist and bend law of the world easily without breaking a sweat.
The private realm trembled beneath a sky that no mortal sun had ever touched. Green fields stretched endlessly around the white tower, but today, the peaceful land was anything but peaceful.
Rivers had stopped flowing. Trees bent away from the battlefield. The golden scripts floating around Solomon's tower spun so fast they looked like rings of light.
At the center of it all, Lucian stood with one hand raised, silver hair whipping in the wind.
Across from him, Solomon leaned lazily on his wooden staff. Still looking like a harmless scholar who had wandered into the wrong battle and was too stubborn to leave.
"Again," Solomon said.
Lucian's eyes narrowed. "You sound far too comfortable for someone about to be buried."
"Then make it interesting, brat." Solomon yawned.
Lucian smiled and the sky darkened. A shadow spread over the realm as if something vast had swallowed the light above them. The wind died, the grass flattened, even the rivers reflected the darkness gathering overhead.
Solomon looked up. For the first time that morning, his expression changed.
Above the realm, a black star formed.
It was not a true star. It was a mass of compressed flame, gravity, and silver-black authority dragged down from the upper layers of the realm. Its surface burned with black fire, edged in pale silver light, and the pressure it released made the air scream.
Solomon stared at it. "You were told to practice precision."
"I am being precise," Lucian said.
"That thing is the size of a mountain," Solomon added.
"I precisely made it the size of a mountain."
Solomon sighed.
Lucian's smile widened before he lifted two fingers.
The black star descended, the sky bent around it.
The tower's golden scripts flared in warning. The fields below cracked. Trees tore from the ground before the meteor even touched them, ripped upward by the pressure of its fall.
Solomon looked almost offended. "Wasteful."
Lucian tilted his head. "Effective."
"Childish."
The black star came down faster.
Solomon finally lifted his staff. He did not chant loudly. He did not gather mana. His expression did not even look impressed.
He simply tapped the ground once.
The world stopped.
The meteor froze in the sky.
The grass stopped bending. The rivers stopped moving. The fallen leaves hung in the air. Even the light around the black star paused, trapped mid-flicker like the realm had forgotten how time was supposed to behave.
Lucian clicked his tongue.
"There it is."
Solomon looked at him beneath the frozen sky. "There what is?"
"That annoying authority, old man."
Solomon's mouth twitched.
"You call it annoying because you cannot do it yet."
"I call it annoying because every time I make something beautiful, you ruin it."
"Just tell me that you are jealous brat~"
Solomon raised one hand toward the frozen meteor.
The black star did not explode, the destruction it promised was denied before the world allowed it to happen.
Then the meteor vanished. The sky returned to blue. The rivers moved again. The leaves fell again.
Lucian stared at the empty sky.
A thin smile appeared on his face. "I hate that spell."
"No, you love it." Solomon lowered his staff. "You hate that it is mine."
Solomon smiled. "Again."
Lucian moved, he vanished from where he stood and appeared above Solomon with his hand already extended. Silver light gathered in his palm, sharp and compressed.
A circle of silver-black authority closed around Solomon. The space around the old king locked itself shut.
Solomon glanced at it.
"Better."
Lucian's smile sharpened, then he inhaled.
The air around him bent inward. A pale silver flame gathered at the back of his throat. It shone beautifully at first, almost holy, bright enough to make the shadows beneath him retreat.
Then Lucifer's blood answered. The silver flame darkened. Black spread through it like ink poured into moonlight, leaving only a thin silver edge around the fire.
Lucian opened his mouth.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu"
Black flame poured from him.
It roared across the sealed space like a living tide, swallowing the distance between him and Solomon in a single breath. The fire did not simply burn the air. It ate the light inside it, leaving trails of silver darkness behind.
Solomon's eyebrows rose.
"Oh?"
The black flame crashed down. For one moment, the old king disappeared beneath the infernal fire.
Lucian landed lightly on the grass, his eyes stayed on the flames. He did not relax.
Solomon's voice came from inside the fire. "Interesting technique brat."
Lucian's smile faded because the black flame split.
Solomon stood untouched in the center, his staff resting against his shoulder. The fire flowed around him, wild and furious, but none of it reached his robes.
He lifted two fingers.
The flame changed, it did not vanish. But the heat disappeared and it became empty.
Lucian's eyes sharpened. "You severed the flame from its nature."
"That's right brat."
Lucian stared at the black fire. "You change the flame attribute?"
"Yes."
"That is disgusting."
"That is education."
"That is cheating."
"That is also education."
Lucian raised his hand again.
Solomon watched him closely.
The black flame twisted. For a moment, it remained hollow.
Then Lucian smiled.
The flame shuddered, the silver edges brightened. Something inside the fire woke up.
It did not regain its heat by force. It did not simply overpower Solomon's Severance. It ate the condition that had been placed upon it, consuming the separation between flame and burning until the black fire remembered what it was meant to do.
The heat returned worse than before.
Solomon's smile faded.
Then he laughed.
"Finally."
The flame surged.
Solomon tapped his staff again.
The black fire folded inward and rushed back toward Lucian.
Lucian stepped aside, but not fast enough. The edge of the flame grazed his sleeve, burning a neat line through the fabric before dissolving into smoke.
"Fuck you old man," he looked at it. "You returned my own flame to me."
"Yes."
"That was petty."
"That was teaching."
"You say that every time you annoy me."
"And yet you keep learning~"
Lucian smiled despite himself.
Solomon saw it and sighed. "There is your father looks again."
Lucian straightened his sleeve. "Should I take that as praise?"
"You always do it though?"
"Then you should stop making it easy."
Solomon pointed his staff at him.
"Again."
Lucian's smile slowly disappeared.
The realm grew heavy again. The grass around his feet bent away. Silver-black light gathered behind his eyes. For the first time that day, Lucian stopped playing.
Solomon noticed. The old king's expression became sharper.
Lucian raised one hand.
The realm trembled and the air thickened around Solomon.
Solomon's staff sank half an inch into the ground.
His eyes narrowed.
Lucian stood across from him, calm and beautiful, his silver hair moving in the pressure of his own authority.
"You're in trapped in my realm now now old man," Lucian said softly.
"No," Solomon stared at him, then smiled. "You're the one trapped with me brat"
Lucian's smile matched his.
Solomon laughed.
For the first time, he lifted his staff with both hands.
The realm answered him. The tower brightened. The rivers formed circles. The golden scripts snapped into place around Solomon like a crown made of language.
Lucian's authority pressed down, but Solomon's authority pressed back harder. For one breath, the realm held both of them.
Prince and king.
Edict and Law.
Hell's heir and the mortal who had once forced demons to remember fear.
Then the pressure shattered outward. The fields split, the rivers rose, and the sky cracked with golden lines.
Solomon tapped his staff one last time. "Enough."
Everything stopped.
Lucian's authority vanished from the air. The rivers fell back into place. The grass straightened. The golden scripts slowed, and the sky healed itself as if embarrassed by the damage.
Lucian exhaled, his breathing was slightly uneven. But Solomon looked perfectly fine.
Lucian stared at him.
Solomon stared back.
"What?" the old king asked.
Lucian's eyes narrowed.
"That is not your real body."
Solomon blinked once, then he laughed. "What made you think like that brat?"
Lucian folded his arms. "I am serious."
"I know." Solomon wiped at one eye, still laughing. "That is what makes it funny."
"The way you move is wrong."
"Wrong?"
"For an old man."
"How rude."
"You do not breathe like one. Your spine bends not like someone of that age. Your hand never trembles. Your weight does not settle naturally." Lucian's gaze sharpened. "Even your weakness feels like a disguise."
Solomon's laughter faded into a smile.
"Well," he said, "your father did warn me about your eyes."
"He should have warned you about my mouth."
"He did."
"Then you were prepared."
"No," Solomon said. "I was entertained."
The old king turned his staff once.
The wrinkles faded first. The bent spine straightened. White hair darkened into thick waves of black-brown touched with gold. His plain robes shifted into royal cloth draped over broad shoulders and a frame carved with the ease of a warrior who had once been a king before he became a legend.
His skin deepened into warm bronze, smooth and radiant beneath the bright sky. The old face disappeared. In its place stood a young man.
No.
A king.
Solomon's true form was beautiful in a way that did not imitate Lucifer's.
Lucifer's beauty was cold perfection, angelic and dangerous, the kind that made people feel like they were falling before they understood why.
Solomon's beauty was warmer. Human, but raised to its highest possible form.
A face sharp enough for coins and soft enough for poems. Dark eyes bright with ancient wisdom. A mouth curved with the kind of charm that had probably destroyed more common sense than any spell he had ever cast.
Lucian understood then. This was the true Solomon of legend. The king whose wisdom drew nations to his court. The man whose presence could fill palaces with devotion.
The ruler handsome enough that a thousand beauties would not have sounded like exaggeration, only poor self-control from everyone involved.
Solomon spread his arms slightly. "Better brat?"
Lucian smiled.
"Less disappointing."
Solomon stared, then laughed again. "There it is. Lucifer's blood."
Lucian walked closer, circling him once with obvious interest.
Solomon looked unimpressed. "I am not an exhibit."
"You were pretending to be an old one."
"I prefer the term crouching tiger, hidden dragon."
"You failed miserably old man~."
"With you, unfortunately," Solomon huffed in annoyance.
Lucian stopped in front of him. "You hide this form because people will react to it?"
"Yes."
"That sounds very inconvenient..."
"It is."
Lucian smiled faintly. "I sympathize."
Solomon looked at him, then snorted. "You would."
For a moment, the two of them simply stood beneath the bright sky, the battlefield slowly repairing itself around them.
Then Lucian's gaze shifted to the tower. His mind had already moved on.
Solomon noticed.
"What now?"
Lucian looked back at him. "The Ars Goetia."
Solomon's expression became flat.
"No."
"I have not asked anything yet."
"You were about to."
"I was thinking."
"Loudly."
Lucian smiled.
Solomon narrowed his eyes. "Do not smile like that again, it gives me shiver."
Lucian's smile became brighter.
Solomon sighed. "What do you want to know?"
"The Ars Goetia contract you created," Lucian said. "It is not a simple summoning system, is it?"
Solomon watched him.
Lucian continued, "Seventy-two spirits. Names. Hierarchy. Seals. Contracts. Obedience. Return. Restriction. Territory. Price."
His eyes sharpened.
"It is made from multiple Laws."
For a moment, Solomon said nothing. "Yes."
Lucian's eyes brightened.
Solomon immediately regretted answering.
"The Ars Goetia is a layered contract," Solomon said. "Binding holds the pact. Return handles dismissal. Revelation identifies the true name. Dominion establishes my authority over the summoning space. Equivalence handles price and consequence. Silence prevents rebellion through forbidden speech."
Lucian listened carefully.
Solomon pointed at him.
"No."
Lucian blinked. "Again, I have not said anything."
"You are preparing to do something foolish."
"I am preparing to understand."
"That is what foolish people call it before something explodes."
Lucian looked offended. "My explosions are usually intentional."
"Usually is the problem."
Lucian turned toward the tower. A thought crossed his mind.
"Whatever you are thinking," Solomon said, "think less of it."
Lucian looked back at him with a flawless smile. "Is the Ars Goetia limited only to demons?"
Solomon's eyes narrowed.
Lucian continued, calm and curious. "Or is it possible to bind other beings as well? Gods, spirits, angels, monsters, perhaps even beings from other pantheons?"
The air around the tower became quieter. Solomon did not answer immediately. That alone told Lucian the question mattered.
"You are asking the wrong question," Solomon said at last.
Lucian tilted his head. "Am I?"
"Yes." Solomon tapped his staff once against the grass. "The question is not whether they can be bound. Anything with a name, nature, law, origin, desire, or weakness can be bound."
Lucian's eyes brightened.
Solomon pointed his staff at him.
"Do not look pleased. I have not finished."
Lucian's smile remained. "I am listening."
"No," Solomon said. "You are thinking of future crimes."
Lucian placed one hand over his chest. "You wound me."
"I am trying to prevent others from being wounded by you."
"How thoughtful."
"How exhausting," Solomon corrected.
Lucian chuckled softly.
Solomon sighed and continued.
"Demons are easier because the Ars Goetia was built around their structure. Names, ranks, seals, contracts, offerings, dismissal, punishment. The system understands them." His gaze sharpened. "Gods are different."
Lucian's smile thinned with interest. "Different how?"
"Gods are not merely beings. They are also myths, worship, domains, symbols, and stories wearing flesh. To bind a god, you do not only bind the person. You must touch the concept behind them."
Lucian went quiet.
Solomon's smile became thin. "Now you understand why fools die."
Lucian looked toward the tower, where the seventy-two symbols floated in slow orbit.
"So it is possible."
Solomon closed his eyes.
Lucian smiled. "Master Solomon?"
"Yes," Solomon said, sounding deeply irritated. "It is possible."
Lucian's smile widened.
"But," Solomon said, opening his eyes, "possible is not the same as wise. Bind a demon incorrectly and it may kill you. Bind a god incorrectly and its domain may answer. Try to chain a sea god, and the ocean may decide to remember your lungs. Try to bind a sun god, and the dawn itself may take offense."
Lucian was silent for a moment. Then he said, "That sounds fascinating."
Solomon stared at him.
"You are exactly the kind of student teachers warn each other about."
Lucian's smile was almost angelic. "Then I should make a strong impression."
"You already have."
Lucian lifted one hand.
Solomon's expression changed. "Lucian."
"Only a small attempt."
"You do not know the structure."
"I know enough."
"That sentence has killed a lot of mages and genius trying to imitate me."
Silver-black light gathered around Lucian's fingers. Golden scripts around the tower reacted.
Solomon stepped forward. "Lucian."
Lucian smiled.
"Relax, Master Solomon. I am only borrowing the door."
Then he spoke.
A circle formed beneath his feet. Not Solomon's gold. Lucian's silver-black authority. It was rougher than Solomon's work. But it was still powerful.
The circle locked the space beneath him. Then Lucian added a second command.
Solomon's eyes widened.
"You are breaking the outer lock?"
"Only the edge."
"That is still breaking it!"
Lucian's smile remained calm.
Black flame curled around the seal, eating the resistance of the tower's defensive scripts. The seventy-two symbols above them spun faster.
Solomon moved but he was too late.
A gate opened.
Lucian looked pleased.
Then the gate screamed.
Solomon stopped.
Lucian's smile faded. "That does not sound correct."
Solomon stared at the gate.
"No," he said. "It does not."
The portal twisted.
Silver-black authority clashed with golden law. The tower's scripts flared. Somewhere deep inside the structure, something ancient groaned like an old contract waking up angry.
Then the gate spat something out.
No.
Someone.
A red blur shot through the opening.
Lucian's eyes widened, cold sweat slid down his cheeks.
"LUCIAN~!"