A wave of dark energy surged through the room.
It did not move like wind, nor like force as humans understood it—it expanded outward as a presence, heavy and suffocating, swallowing the air itself. The wooden walls of the dojo groaned faintly as if reacting to something ancient pressing against reality.
Before Axel could react, the wave struck.
One by one, the remaining students collapsed where they stood. Their bodies dropped lifelessly—not dead, but emptied, their consciousness overwhelmed by something far beyond their capacity to resist. Even the faint groans from the injured ceased, replaced by a silence so complete it felt unnatural.
Only two remained standing.
Axel—
And what had once been Luke.
Luke stepped forward.
No hesitation. No restraint.
Each step carried weight, not physical, but spiritual, as though the ground itself acknowledged his presence. The air around him pulsed with infernal energy, rising and falling like a heartbeat that did not belong to this world.
"I'm going to kill you now."
The voice that spoke was layered—Luke's tone buried beneath something older, deeper, something that carried the weight of centuries.
Satan.
Axel felt it clearly now.
There was no doubt left.
For a brief moment, Axel closed his eyes.
Not in fear.
Not in hesitation.
But in focus.
The chaos around him faded—not physically, but internally. The oppressive darkness, the fallen bodies, the looming presence before him—all of it receded as he turned inward.
And there—
He felt it.
A whisper.
Not loud.
Not commanding.
But constant.
Steady.
Pure.
The Holy Spirit.
It did not give him orders.
It did not force his hand.
It simply was.
Guiding.
Waiting.
Axel inhaled slowly.
Then exhaled.
And when he opened his eyes—
His fear was gone.
His heart steadied.
"Come into existence," he whispered.
The words carried weight.
Not volume—
Authority.
Then, louder—
With conviction that shook the very air—
"ANGELIC ARMOR!"
Light erupted.
It did not burst outward violently—it expanded, unfolding from within him like something long sealed finally released. Radiance flooded the dojo, pushing back the darkness in waves of pure, divine energy.
The shadows recoiled.
The air trembled.
When the light faded—
Axel stood transformed.
A radiant helm crowned his head, its surface gleaming with celestial patterns that seemed to shift subtly with every movement. His body was clad in armor not forged of metal, but of something far greater—light condensed into form, shimmering with a soft, eternal glow.
In his left hand rested a shield that reflected not the room around him, but something higher—something endless, like the heavens themselves.
And in his right—
A sword.
It burned.
Not with fire that consumed—
But with fire that purified.
Satan snarled.
For the first time—
Recognition flickered.
"You…" the voice hissed, layered with something close to hatred. "Joseph's blood runs through you."
Axel tightened his grip on the sword.
The weight of those words settled within him—not as doubt, but as confirmation.
"I won't let you have my friend."
Luke's body trembled.
Then it changed.
Muscle expanded unnaturally, stretching the limits of human form. His skin darkened, shifting into a deep, burning crimson that pulsed with infernal life. His bones cracked and reshaped beneath the surface as horns emerged, curving upward like twisted crowns of dominance.
A tail lashed behind him, slicing through the air with violent force.
In his hands—
Darkness condensed.
A trident formed.
Its prongs burned with black fire, flames that did not illuminate, but devoured the light around them.
"Then fight me," Satan said, his voice now fully dominant, no trace of Luke remaining. "Descendant of Joseph."
He stepped forward.
"Let's see if you have the strength…"
The ground beneath him cracked.
"…to defy a god."
And in that moment—
The battle for Luke's soul began.
The world shifted.
The dojo could no longer contain them.
Reality bent.
And in the next instant—
They stood elsewhere.
The waves roared like an enraged beast, crashing violently against the jagged shores of the Black Sea. The sky above churned with dark clouds, spiraling as though drawn toward the clash of forces gathering below.
The ocean itself seemed alive—restless, unstable, reacting to the presence of powers far beyond its understanding. Shadows twisted beneath the surface, massive shapes retreating into the depths, fleeing from something even they feared.
Axel stood at the edge of the shoreline, his armor gleaming against the darkness. The wind tore at him, yet he remained unmoved, his stance firm, grounded.
Across from him—
Lucifer.
Luke's body had become something monstrous.
A vessel no longer human.
A shell filled with something ancient and merciless.
His crimson form pulsed with power, each breath releasing faint wisps of black energy that dissolved into the storm around them. His horns gleamed under flashes of distant lightning, his tail whipping behind him like a living weapon.
The trident in his hand crackled violently, distorting the space around it.
Axel tightened his grip on his sword.
"You knew, didn't you?" he said, his voice steady despite the chaos. "You knew you couldn't fully take control of him."
Lucifer's lips curled into a slow, predatory smile.
"And yet," he replied, his voice echoing unnaturally across the storm, "here you stand… struggling to keep up."
He took a step forward.
The ocean behind him surged violently, as though responding to his movement.
"I may not have full dominion over this boy," he continued, "but he is still mine to command."
Without warning—
He moved.
Axel barely reacted in time.
The trident came down with devastating force, cutting through the air with a sound like tearing reality itself. Axel raised his sword, meeting the strike head-on.
The impact—
Exploded outward.
A shockwave tore across the ocean, sending massive spirals of water shooting into the sky. The shoreline cracked beneath Axel's feet, the force of the collision pushing him back several meters despite his defense.
Their weapons locked.
For a moment—
They stood face to face.
Close enough for Axel to see it—
Deep within those burning eyes—
A flicker.
Luke.
"Fight it," Axel said, his voice low but urgent. "You're still in there!"
For the briefest moment—
Lucifer's expression faltered.
Then it twisted.
"Pathetic," he spat.
With a surge of power, he forced Axel back, breaking the clash.
The battle erupted.
Axel moved first this time, his body guided by instinct and something greater. His sword cut through the air in arcs of pure light, each strike precise, controlled, carrying divine force.
Lucifer met him without hesitation.
Trident against sword.
Light against darkness.
Each clash sent shockwaves across the sea, the water splitting and rising as though the ocean itself could not endure their conflict. Lightning split the sky above them, illuminating their battle in violent flashes.
Axel pressed forward, his strikes faster now, stronger, his movements aligning with something beyond his own skill. The armor responded to his will, amplifying his strength, guiding his defense.
But Lucifer—
Adapted.
Every strike that landed was countered.
Every movement anticipated.
He was not fighting like a human.
He was hunting.
A sudden shift—
Lucifer vanished.
Axel's eyes widened—
Too late.
Pain exploded across his side as the trident struck, sending him crashing across the rocky shore. His body slammed into the ground, the impact cracking the stone beneath him.
He pushed himself up immediately, refusing to stay down.
"You're slow," Lucifer said, appearing behind him.
Axel spun—
Blocked—
Barely.
The force drove him back again.
His breathing grew heavier.
But his resolve did not waver.
"I said…" Axel steadied himself, his grip tightening on his sword.
"I won't let you take him."
Light surged.
Brighter than before.
For a moment—
The storm faltered.
And deep within the darkness—
Something stirred.
Not Lucifer.
Luke.
The battle was not just physical.
It was spiritual.
And it had only just begun.