Chapter 155 — No Way Back
Azael charged.
Brook disappeared.
The chamber shook.
Azael stopped.
His eyes moved across the darkness.
"Where?"
Brook didn't answer.
Death showed him everything.
Azael's lifeline burned through the darkness.
Every movement.
Every shift of weight.
Every tightening muscle.
Brook saw the attack before Azael made it.
Azael moved left.
Brook appeared behind him.
His foot struck the back of Azael's knee.
Azael dropped.
Brook vanished.
Azael swung backward.
Empty.
Brook appeared above him.
Azael looked up.
Brook's knee drove into his face.
The impact sent Azael through the floor.
Brook landed.
He immediately disappeared again.
Azael burst upward from beneath the rubble.
Brook appeared in front of him.
Their fists collided.
The sound shook the entire chamber.
Azael smiled.
Brook didn't.
Azael grabbed his wrist.
Brook vanished.
Henry heard the crack before he saw what happened.
Brook appeared behind Azael.
His elbow smashed into Azael's spine.
Azael staggered.
Brook teleported.
Appeared.
Struck.
Disappeared.
Again.
Again.
Henry could barely follow him.
But Brook wasn't moving the same way anymore.
His fighting was still precise.
His Devil's Instincts were still responding.
But something was different.
Brook wasn't hesitating.
Not once.
Azael swung.
Brook's body moved.
His head tilted.
The fist missed.
Brook's knee drove into Azael's stomach.
Azael bent forward.
Brook grabbed his head.
They disappeared.
They appeared somewhere else.
A stone bridge.
Azael's back hit it first.
Brook's fist came down.
Azael caught it.
Brook's second fist struck his face.
Azael rolled.
Brook disappeared.
Azael stood.
Brook appeared beside him.
Azael punched.
Brook was gone.
Azael turned.
Brook's foot struck his ribs.
The stone beneath them cracked.
Azael roared.
Brook disappeared again.
Henry appeared several seconds later.
Not because he had teleported.
He had followed the destruction.
He reached the edge of the broken tunnel and stared.
"Brook!"
Brook ignored him.
Azael stood.
Blood ran down his face.
His smile was gone.
"You're getting predictable."
Brook disappeared.
Azael turned immediately.
Brook's fist came from behind.
Azael blocked it.
The impact shattered both of their footing.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
Azael smiled.
"See?"
Brook's body moved.
Devil's Instincts.
He stepped aside before Azael attacked.
But Azael's other hand caught him.
Brook's head snapped sideways.
Azael grabbed him.
Brook disappeared.
But Azael moved with him.
Both vanished.
Henry froze.
Then—
they reappeared in the air.
Azael was holding Brook by the throat.
Brook drove his knee upward.
Azael released him.
Brook vanished before falling.
Azael hit the ground.
Brook appeared above him.
Azael looked up.
Brook's heel came down.
Azael rolled.
The bridge exploded.
Both fell.
Brook disappeared.
Azael hit the ground alone.
Brook appeared behind him.
Azael turned.
Brook's fist struck him.
Azael barely moved.
Brook struck again.
Then again.
Then—
Azael caught Brook's arm.
Brook twisted.
Azael pulled harder.
Something snapped.
Brook's arm broke.
Henry screamed.
Brook's face changed.
But he didn't cry out.
Azael smiled.
"There you are."
Brook's body disappeared.
Azael stared at the empty space.
Brook appeared behind him.
His broken arm hung uselessly.
His other hand struck Azael's throat.
Azael stumbled.
Brook vanished.
Appeared.
Kicked Azael's injured knee.
Azael dropped.
Brook appeared above him.
His foot drove into Azael's chest.
Azael crashed backward.
Brook stood over him.
His breathing was becoming uneven.
Blood ran from his arm.
Azael looked up.
Then smiled.
"Still pretending you're in control?"
Brook's face remained still.
Inside him—
Michael spoke.
Brook. Stop.
Brook didn't answer.
Azael pushed himself upward.
Lucifer laughed.
Softly.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
Lucifer.
The laugh continued.
You are fighting beautifully.
Michael's voice sharpened.
Enough.
Brook clenched his teeth.
Azael watched his face.
"You hear them."
Brook looked at him.
"Shut up."
Azael smiled.
"I wasn't talking."
Brook disappeared.
He appeared in front of Azael.
His fist struck.
Azael blocked.
Brook disappeared.
Azael turned.
Brook struck him again.
Then again.
Azael stopped defending.
He allowed one punch to land.
Blood left his mouth.
He smiled.
"You're scared."
Brook's body went still.
Azael stepped closer.
"You know why?"
Brook didn't answer.
"Because you can feel it."
Brook's hand trembled.
Azael's voice lowered.
"The moment you stop controlling it."
Henry reached the bridge.
"Brook!"
Azael looked toward him.
Then back.
"You'll disappear."
Brook moved.
Henry saw him.
For a second.
Then Brook was gone.
Azael's smile disappeared.
Brook appeared directly in front of him.
His fist was already moving.
Azael barely blocked.
Brook's second strike came.
Then his knee.
Then his elbow.
Azael was pushed backward.
Brook's Devil's Instincts had changed.
Henry saw it.
Before, Brook reacted.
Now—
Brook's body was attacking before Azael had even finished deciding what to do.
Azael raised his hand.
Brook disappeared.
He appeared beside him.
Azael moved.
Brook was already gone.
Azael spun.
Brook appeared behind him.
Azael turned.
Brook had disappeared again.
Azael roared.
"STOP RUNNING!"
Brook appeared above him.
"No."
Brook's foot struck Azael's shoulder.
The joint broke.
Azael fell.
Brook vanished.
Appeared.
Struck.
Vanished.
Appeared.
Struck.
Azael stopped being able to see him.
Henry slowly stepped backward.
The Ectoplasm beneath his skin moved violently.
It wasn't reacting to Azael.
It was reacting to Brook.
Henry whispered:
"Brook…"
Death moved.
Brook's perception opened.
The world became lifelines.
Henry.
Azael.
Creatures far beneath them.
The former king.
Shoyo.
Sera.
Crowley.
All distant.
But visible.
Brook froze.
For one impossible moment—
he saw his own.
His lifeline.
Stretching into darkness.
Then—
something pulled it.
Brook grabbed his chest.
Azael attacked.
Brook disappeared.
He appeared across the bridge.
Michael's voice returned.
You are losing balance.
Brook stared at the ground.
Lucifer laughed.
But it wasn't amused anymore.
It was quieter.
Interested.
Are you afraid of yourself, Brook?
Brook looked up.
"I said shut up."
Michael went silent.
Lucifer laughed once.
Then stopped.
Death did not speak.
But Brook felt its warning.
His lifeline was changing.
Brook looked toward Azael.
Azael was walking toward him.
Slowly.
"You're breaking."
Brook shook his head.
"No."
"You are."
Brook disappeared.
Azael stopped.
Brook appeared behind him.
Azael spun.
Brook was gone.
The attack never came.
Azael looked around.
Henry looked too.
"Brook?"
Nothing.
Azael laughed.
"He's scared."
Then Brook appeared.
Not behind Azael.
In front of Henry.
Henry jumped.
Brook's eyes were wide.
For a moment—
confused.
"Brook?"
Brook looked at him.
Henry saw it.
Brook was still there.
But exhausted.
His hands shook.
His breathing was ragged.
Henry stepped closer.
"We need to stop."
Brook looked toward Azael.
"No."
"Brook."
"He almost killed Sera."
"I know."
"He's still here."
"I know."
Brook's voice lowered.
"And if I stop…"
Henry waited.
Brook couldn't finish.
Henry placed his hand against Brook's shoulder.
"You don't have to kill him by becoming something else."
Brook looked at him.
The words reached him.
For a moment.
Brook's breathing slowed.
Michael whispered:
Listen to him.
Lucifer said nothing.
Death remained watchful.
Azael's voice came from behind them.
"How touching."
Brook froze.
Henry turned.
Azael was smiling.
Blood covered his entire face.
One shoulder hung lower.
His body was damaged.
But he still stood.
Brook stepped forward.
Henry grabbed him.
"Wait."
Azael laughed.
"She begged."
Brook stopped.
Henry's grip tightened.
Azael continued.
"She begged me not to—"
Brook disappeared.
Azael's voice stopped.
Henry froze.
Azael looked around.
Brook didn't appear.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Azael's smile faded.
"Brook?"
Nothing.
Henry turned slowly.
The chamber was silent.
Then—
Azael's lifeline disappeared.
Brook appeared directly behind him.
His fist went through Azael's guard.
Azael's head snapped sideways.
Brook grabbed his face.
They vanished.
Azael reappeared beneath the ash.
Far below.
The ancient darkness stretched around him.
Brook stood behind him.
Azael turned.
Brook's body was trembling.
His broken arm hung uselessly.
Blood covered his face.
Azael smiled weakly.
"Finally."
Brook disappeared.
Azael spun.
Brook appeared beside him.
His fist struck.
Azael blocked.
Brook disappeared.
Azael turned.
Brook struck again.
The fight began again.
But the underground world around them had changed.
The ash moved.
The darkness breathed.
Something far away roared.
Azael smiled.
"Do you feel it?"
Brook ignored him.
Azael attacked.
Brook vanished.
Azael smiled wider.
"It's calling."
Brook appeared.
His fist struck Azael's jaw.
Azael hit the ash.
Brook disappeared.
He appeared again.
His foot came down.
Azael blocked.
Brook vanished.
Appeared.
Azael couldn't predict him.
Henry finally reached the broken opening above.
He looked down.
"BROOK!"
Brook didn't answer.
Azael caught Brook's good arm.
Brook vanished.
Azael's grip caught empty air.
Brook appeared behind him.
Then stopped.
Azael slowly turned.
Brook was staring into the darkness.
Not at him.
Something else.
A voice travelled across the ash.
Not Elias.
Not the old woman.
Not Azael.
A voice Brook didn't recognize.
"Come closer."
Death recoiled.
Brook felt it.
Michael spoke.
Do not move.
Lucifer whispered:
Interesting.
Azael smiled.
Brook looked toward him.
Azael's smile widened.
"Now you understand."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
Azael pointed toward the darkness.
"The hunter was never me."
The ash began moving.
Brook's body reacted.
Devil's Instincts.
He teleported instantly.
Henry saw him appear beside him.
Brook grabbed Henry.
"Run."
Henry stared.
"What?"
Brook looked into the darkness.
For the first time since the fight began—
he was afraid.
"Now."
Something roared.
The ash exploded.
Azael laughed.
Brook and Henry disappeared.
And behind them—
something began hunting.
End of Chapter 155